The Vale Order
by Juwpiter081
Summary: Ruby Rose is a young girl from Vytal looking to serve the people. Weiss Schnee is Dust royalty trying to make her own identity. Blake Belladonna is a faunus trying to escape her dark past. Yang Xiao Long is a fighter looking to test herself. They join BEACON's prestigious Hunters to protect, serve, and grow the Vale Order.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, time for my (hopefully) first longterm RWBY fanfiction. Inspired by nothing in particular, this story is my take on RWBY set in a sci-fi universe. Things like space travel are the norm in here, as well as potentially complicated mathematics (though not a lot). The story is semi-based off of the canon, but many things that happened won't happen, and vice versa. Anyway, if this has interested you, read on!**

**Another thing: There _might_ be pairings. This isn't a story about pairings, but rather a story to develop a world I've designed around the RWBY Universe. If there are pairings, they will not be the focal point of this story.  
**

**So, go ahead and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: RWBY is the registered trademark of RoosterTeeth, and is owned by Monty Oum.**

* * *

"Welcome to the V.O.S. Emerald Forest." An AI spoke through the computer. A young girl, with black hair that faded to red, approached the interface and placed her hand on it. A scan commenced.

"Handprint confirmed. Ruby Rose." The computer spoke. Ruby stepped back. "Please enter you Vale Order Identification Number." The interface now changed, allowing Ruby to enter her VOID Number.

After the computer was satisfied that Ruby was indeed Ruby, it trilled. "Please step into the scanning booth." A pod lowered from the ceiling, with a door to enter from. Ruby did as she was ordered, keeping her arms close to avoid hitting the pod.

A full body scan commenced. Every aspect of the young girl's body was catalogued, and the data appeared on a large screen in front of her.

"Scan complete." The computer said. The pod returned to the ceiling, and Ruby stepped off to the side. "Please head to the assignment office for further questioning." The computer order. A door opened, which would head to the office in question.

Ruby headed out at a brisk pace. She could hardly contain her excitement. She would, by day's end, be a full fledged member of the Basic Extraterrestrial Advancement and Colonizing OrganizatioN, or BEACON. A great honor, to be sure.

Ruby entered what looked to be a waiting area, but noticed that no one was here. She looked at each of the doors. They were all closed, with a display above them that read "Do not enter." However, Ruby noticed that one read "Ruby Rose." She approached that door and knocked twice.

"Enter." A gruff voice said from the other side. The girl did as she heard, and entered the office. It had a nice view of Vytal below. Currently, the Emerald Forest was above the dark side of the planet, so you couldn't make out every detail, but you could see the lights of the largest cities.

The man who would assist Ruby in entering BEACON had a thick, bushy moustache. It, and the hair on his head, was messy and grey. You couldn't see his eyes, but he obviously had no problems seeing. "Ah, you must be Miss Rose." He said. Ruby nodded. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Port." He added, motioning for Ruby to sit in the chair across from him. The girl did as she was offered.

"So, let's get straight to business." LTC Port started, pulling out a tablet that held Ruby's files. "Which branch were you looking to join?" Port asked.

BEACON was divided into 6 different branches, specializations that allowed the organization to flow smoothly. The most basic was Crewman, which performed the day-to-day tasks aboard large starships, like the Emerald Forest. Command also worked on starships, but instead of operating them, Commanders were in charge of the entire ship. All Commanders are officer ranks.

The next branches were all combat oriented. Pilots flew the various fighters that defended starships and planets from invasions, and operated turrets that defended stations or starships. Marines protected starships and stations from invasions, while also boarding and invading other starships and stations. And Infantry would be the 'boots on the ground,' fighting the enemy in combat, usually on the surface of a planet or moon.

The last branch of BEACON were the Hunters. Hunters are specialized, highly trained soldiers who carry out missions where Infantry or Marines might fail. Hunters are the cream of the crop, and are only the best. No exceptions.

Which is why, when Ruby answered, "I want to be a Huntress.", LTC Port did a double take. It wasn't every day that a new recruit came in wanting to be a Hunter. It was even rarer to see one so young want to join the top branch. But that was what happened here.

The LTC nodded, looking through Ruby's files. She was a prodigy if there ever was one. She attended Signal Training School, the best combat school in the entire Order, and passed Valedictorian, two years sooner than she should've. She was, without a doubt, the best recruit that the mustachioed man had ever seen.

"I see." He said, a slight tone of surprise in his voice. "It would appear that you have all the qualifications of a Huntress." Port looked over Ruby's files again. "Indeed, you could very well be the most qualified Huntress we've had in years." He said with a hint of respect. Ruby beamed.

Port pushed a button on his tablet, and a small interface appeared on the desk in front of Ruby. "All you need to do is fill out this file, and then I can refer you to the Hunter's Commissioner." Port said. Ruby looked at the file on the tablet. It was similar to many Ruby had already filled out. She quickly filled it out.

"Take this tablet to Colonel Goodwitch." Port said, handing Ruby the tablet in his hands. "Just follow the hallway to the right until you see her office." Port smiled. "Good luck."

Ruby nodded her thanks and began the trek to COL Goodwitch's office. She could barely contain herself. She was ready to scream. However, she knew she needed to be professional. Fangirling could wait until later.

The walk to Goodwitch's office was longer than Ruby thought. After nearly three minutes, she finally found it, in a large lounge like area. Several offices were here, all of them associated with the Hunters. Ruby approached the door and saw a stern looking woman, with glasses framing her face, sitting at her desk.

"Miss Rose, please sit down." She said, not even looking up. Ruby did as she was told, suddenly felling very small. COL Goodwitch seemed like a woman you did not want to cross.

"Lieutenant Commander Port tells me you wish to be a Huntress." Goodwitch spoke, now looking at Ruby. If Ruby felt small before, now she felt microscopic. The redhead nodded, handing the COL the tablet. Goodwitch took it and looked it over in silence.

"I see…" She said after she was finished. She set the tablet on her desk. "It would seem you meet all the qualifications to become a Huntress." The woman said plainly. She stood up, approaching a shelf on the other side of the room. Ruby became fascinated with the view of the Cluster Nebula, the expanse of space in which Vytal sat.

Goodwitch pulled out a tablet and set it in front of Ruby. "Fill this out." She ordered. Ruby nodded and looked it over.

The file would be Ruby's "Hunter Identification File," which was the basis of Ruby's information. It wasn't long, but it held information like date of birth, planet of origin, species, and VOID Number. Ruby quickly began to fill it out.

Once finished, Goodwitch took the file, now back in her seat. "For now, head to Deck 5, Section 12." Goodwitch said. "There, show this to the quartermaster." The COL handed Ruby a card that read 'Recruit.' "You will be told which bay you will be staying for the next few days until we can process your entry." Goodwitch finished by pulling out another tablet. "You are dismissed."

Ruby left without a second word. She was glad to be out of the room, even though Goodwitch didn't seem like a mean woman. Still, Ruby didn't want to test it out. She was currently on Deck 8, Section 2, three decks below Deck 5. So she needed to find the central mall.

The mall, which acted like a highway junction for the Emerald Forest, was near the center of the ship. It was large, featuring elevators to each Deck, as well as stairwells. Instead of a ceiling, there was a large glass window, from which Ruby could barely make out the most notable constellation in northern Vytal: The Dragon.

The mall was also a shopping area, but Ruby didn't have any lien to spend. Still, she looked at all the different things for sale. After a few moments, she found a lift and took it to Deck 5.

As Ruby headed closer to Section 12, she noticed that the hallways got more Spartan. Instead of being marked by computer panels, the different sections were marked by physical paint. In fact, there didn't seem to be any panels once you passed Section 7.

Section 12 was by far the largest area on this Deck. It was rimmed by various offices and examination rooms, with a single hallway that read "Barracks." Ruby looked around and found the quartermaster's post near the hallway to the barracks.

As Ruby approached, she caught the attention of the quartermaster. It was lanky man, with closely cut blonde hair. He seemed like an energetic guy, stuck in a boring job.

The markings on his uniform designated him as Petty Officer Second Class. He looked at Ruby and smiled. "How can I help you?" He asked, his voice thick with an accent not native to Vytal. Remnant, most likely.

"I was told to give you this." Ruby answered, handing the PO2 the card Goodwitch gave her. The man looked it over and nodded.

"Alrighty." He said, and typed on a interface Ruby couldn't see. "Okay, name and VOID Number?" He asked.

"Ruby Rose." Ruby said. "167-E70V-21S" The man typed this all into the computer, which trilled in response.

The PO2 whistled. "Huntress, eh?" He asked in admiration. "Alright, you'll be staying in Bay 6B." He said. He then went to the back of his "office," and grabbed a large duffel bag. "Your personal effects will be shipped when you are assigned your team and given your own dorm." He handed Ruby the duffel bag. "This has everything you'll need until then." Ruby nodded in thanks.

Duffel on her shoulders, Ruby looked for the correct bay. According to the directions, it was near the back of the bay area. Ruby sighed, half in exhaustion and half in frustration. She began her march, the duffel somehow getting heavier with every step.

Once Ruby found her bay, she sighed. She stepped inside and saw it half full. Inside were various other BEACON recruits, male and female. Scattered throughout the bay were bunks and footlockers, about 20 in all, enough for 40 recruits.

Ruby was then approached by another recruit. The man, a full head taller than Ruby, smiled as he approached. "Hey there." He said, taking Ruby's duffel off her shoulders. "I'm Teal." The man said. He was a faunus, a humanoid from the planet Menagerie, the second largest planet in the Order. Teal's hair was a vibrant gold, though his cat-like ears were pitch black. Ruby could barely make out his tail, which was the same color as his hair, but with black spots and stripes.

"Ruby." The redheaded girl said, thankful that the weight on her shoulders was gone. The younger recruit looked around, not sure what to do. "So, do I just take any bunk?" She asked. Teal shook his head.

"Nope. I'll assign you one." He looked around the room, searching for an empty bunk. When he was satisfied with his selection, he smiled. "Alright, follow me." He led Ruby towards a bunk occupied by a girl in all white, matching her hair, tied up in an offset ponytail.

As the pair approached, the girl noticed them and sighed. "What?" She asked Teal, almost as if she was above him. Ruby frowned; she hated dissent in ranks, and until she heard otherwise, Teal was in charge, most likely a bay leader. Teal, however, brushed her off.

"Weiss, meet Ruby." The faunus said, placing Ruby's duffel on the ground. "She'll be staying above you until our initiation." Teal informed Weiss, who looked disinterested.

"Whatever." Weiss said plainly. Ruby's frown deepened. The girl's cold demeanor was disheartening.

Ruby tried to be friendly, and reached her hand out towards the girl. "Aw, c'mon." Ruby said, trying her best to sound cheery. "There's a chance we might be put in the same team together. We might as well get to know each other." Teal seemed to agree, nodding at Ruby's words.

Weiss, however, scoffed. "I think I'd die before I'm put on a team with you." She said flatly, and rather harshly. Ruby, for her worth, didn't falter, only pulling her hand back slightly.

"Don't worry about her." Teal said to Ruby, who decided to start unpacking what she needed to. There wasn't a whole lot in the duffel bag that could be used for recreation. There was a digi-pad, so at least she'd be able to draw and write. "Weiss's a member of the Schnee family." Teal's words were laced with something akin to hatred, but it was very subtle.

Ruby turned to Weiss. "You mean the Dust family?" The redhead's voice wasn't excited, but rather intrigued. "What in Vytal made you want to join BEACON?" Ruby asked, interest seeping into her words.

Weiss huffed proudly. "It doesn't matter why I joined." She said flatly. "And I expect that you show me the respect I deserve." Pride practically radiated from the girl in white.

"For what?" Another voice asked from nearby. This girl was also a faunus, her black hair topped by black cat-like ears. Her eyes were the most clear amber Ruby had ever seen. "The Schnee Dust Company has made it no secret they enslave faunus laborers." This girl's voice was laced with a dry, sarcastic humor.

Weiss's face turned red instantly. "How dare you!?" The heiress cried, though her voice wasn't much louder than usual. She stood up, almost as if challenging the new girl. The faunus girl didn't back down, but approached, accepting Weiss's unspoken challenge.

Teal stepped between them. "Whoa there, easy Blake." He spoke to the new girl. "This isn't the time or place to pick a fight." He spoke softly. Blake looked at Weiss with disgust, before heading to a bunk next to Ruby and Weiss's.

Weiss looked ready to follow Blake, but Teal wouldn't let her. Instead, the heiress laid on her bed, arms crossed, fuming. Ruby gave a nervous laugh, trying to break the tension. Teal sighed.

"Sorry about Blake." He said to Ruby, ignoring Weiss at this point. "She's normally very reserved, but she get's very passionate about our heritage." He chuckled. "I for one don't really care." Ruby smiled.

"I guess everyone has a different opinion." She said honestly. Teal nodded in agreement. He helped Ruby familiarize herself with the layout of the bay, as well as the basic rules and regulations. He also made a point to show Ruby the fireguard roster.

"Everyone has to do fireguard." He said, pointing at the list of names he was slowly adding. "You'll be performing the 0100-0200 shift tonight with none other than the ice queen herself." He motioned to Weiss. Ruby gave a look similar to someone who had a really sour bite to eat. Teal chuckled.

After Ruby was familiarized with the area, she returned to her bunk. Weiss didn't seem keen on starting conversation, but that didn't mean there weren't others who were. A girl with pink hair and a boy with black hair, save a single pink lock, were talking nearby. Or rather, the girl was talking, and the boy was listening with mild interest.

"I can't believe we're here! Well, I can, because we are here. But still, it's so cool! Do you think we'll be on the same team? Ooh, that'd be so awesome! I mean, if we aren't on the same team, it'll be fine, but I'd rather be on a team with you!"

That was a small snippet of the girl's rant. Ruby was amazed she could breathe, let alone zip around like it was nothing. The boy looked helpless, like he had no other choice.

Time passed relatively slow. Ruby, being a tech geek, was looking at the schematics for the Emerald Forest. She was amazed by just how fast it could go when at full power, but that was barely the tip of the iceberg. The Fort Castle, for example, was the fastest ship in the entire fleet. It could cover the distance between Delta and Lambda, the two most distant colonies, at almost 169 light years, in 23 days. Actually, it'd feel like 20 days, due to time dilation, but to an outside observer, it'd take you 23 days.

Ruby was broken from her studies when she heard a familiar voice booming through the bay. The redhead turned to see a tall girl, maybe 13cm taller than herself, with long, flowing blond hair. Ruby beamed.

The blonde didn't notice Ruby, but the redhead didn't mind. She put her digi-pad away and approached the new girl. She was setting up on the bunk above Blake's. The faunus girl was busy reading a physical, paperback book, not a digital one.

The blonde noticed another presence, and knew who it was by instinct. "Ruby!" She turned around, and before the young huntress could escape, she was caught in a patented Yang Xiao Long bear hug. Ruby made a squeak, shocked by the embrace, but returning it when she could move.

"Hey sis!" Ruby said breathlessly. One gets used to not being able to breathe for a while after Yang hugs you. The blonde, Ruby's older sister, smirked, another trademark.

"Well, I didn't think I'd be sharing a bay with my baby sister!" Yang's voice boomed, proud like a parent's. Ruby smiled widely. "So, you fill everything out right this time?" A hint of a tease.

Ruby's smile downturned ever so much. "Yes!" Ruby shot back, the slightest bit of annoyance in her voice. Yang chuckled. "And that was one time!" Ruby playfully shoved the older girl.

"Geez, lighten up." Yang ruffled Ruby's hair playfully, further annoying the redhead. "So, you excited?" Yang herself sounded excited, but the squeal Ruby let loose made Yang's excitement look like boredom.

Ruby made what Yang could tell was an attempt to speak, but nothing but intelligible noise came out. The blonde smirked, slightly amused at her younger sister's over the top reaction.

"Calm down." Yang put her hands on Ruby's shoulders to steady the girl. "Just, I don't know, act normal." The blonde paused. "At least wait until we get assigned our teams before you go crazy." The redhead nodded.

"Okay." Ruby backed away a single step. "I'll let you get unpacked, then." The young huntress-to-be turned around, returning to her bunk.

Once the redhead was away, Blake finally spoke. "So, that's your younger sister?" The faunus asked. Yang turned to the onyx haired girl and nodded.

"Yep. She's trying to become a Huntress." Yang's voice was full of pride. Blake gave a respectful nod.

"She can't be older than 16." Blake commented rhetorically, slightly impressed.

"Yep, she's only 15. She'll be sixteen in a few months though." Yang answered, digging through her duffel for something to occupy her time. All it contained were several sets of PT uniforms, hygiene supplies, and a single digi-pad. Yang frowned. "Guess there's nothing to do…" She said offhandedly.

Blake gave a short, unnoticed scoff. "Read." She droned sarcastically. Yang gave a small laugh.

The blonde turned to the faunus and noticed the book in her hands. "Wow, haven't seen a physical book in ages." She said, trying to get a glimpse of what it was. She could make out writing, but it wasn't in a language she knew. Or rather, she could speak it. "What is that, Faun?"

Blake nodded distractedly. "Yes." Her voice was flat and uninterested. Yang nodded, trying to keep the conversation alive.

Seeing that Blake was not the most talkative guest in the bay, Yang decided to hop on her bunk and wait for night to approach.

xXxXx

The next few days were less than exciting.

Most of the time, Ruby was standing in line, waiting for an inoculation, or to be bio-scanned, or for lunch. It wasn't exactly the glamour and gallantry that she had hoped for. However, after those days were done, the recruits were asked to gather by LTC Goodwitch in the Main Area of Section 12. It was to do with the teams that recruits would be in for their entire BEACON career.

Several of the recruits were excited. Ruby was. She could barely stand still. LTC Goodwitch stood nearby, looking down at a scroll with information that couldn't be seen. After a few moments of silence, she approached.

"Alright, recruits, I'll keep this brief." She said, her voice even. "Today will be your first training mission before you become Hunters." She spoke clearly and loud enough to be heard in the back of the bay. "You will also be assigned your team today."

Several students began to murmur amongst themselves, everywhere from excited to anxious.

The group went silent when a man, dressed in a green uniform, approached. His insignia designated him as General (GEN), but he was much more important than that. He was the Commander of BEACON.

He was GEN Ozpin.

Ozpin looked at the recruits before him. "You will be training in an exercise designated for infantrymen." He spoke, his calm voice carrying much more than it should've. No one spoke. "While the danger you will face is simulated, you will be expected to fight as if it was real." Again, his voice was heard loud and clear.

"You will all be placed in random locations in the facility." He continued. "The first person your AURA makes contact with will be your partner through your career." Everyone paused.

Goodwitch continued the instruction. "You will head to the center of the facility. There, you will find a set of scrolls." She held hers up. "You will download the data of a single scroll into your AURA device and head to the extraction point it gives you." A pause. "You will be given weapons for this mission. Choose wisely." She stepped back.

With that, a sergeant stepped into the room and motioned for the group to head to the armory. Inside, there was a large selection of various weapons, from rifles to launchers, sidearms to shotguns, and even hybrids of different types. The first thing everyone got, however, was an AURA. AURA, or Augmented User Reconnaissance/Radar Unit, was used throughout BEACON, although only Hunters got one as a standard issue. Each recruit's AURA is unique to them, and does not work with anyone else. It acts as a small scale radar, showing the locations of friendlies as well as enemies within a 15 meter range, as well as vital signs, ammo capacity, and even where your weapon is aiming. All in all, it was a vital piece of equipment.

After being assigned her AURA, Ruby began to look over the various weapons, catalogued by type number. All weapons have an alphanumeric designation; A-E was the pistol class, F-J were snipers, K-R was basic assault rifles, S-U contained shotguns, V-Y contained submachine guns, and Z was the launcher class. Ruby was, without a doubt, one of the most skilled markswomen in the batch of recruits, and she preferred snipers. However, she also liked mobility and quick, medium range weaponry.

After scanning every weapon in the armory, Ruby found her choice; the FM261, a hybrid sniper/assault rifle, good at a combination of medium and long range combat. Satisfied with her choice, Ruby exited the armory and headed to the hangar, where the group was gathering.

Once everyone had a weapon and their AURA, Ozpin flagged over a Bullhead-class transport. "This Bullhead will transport you to Training Platform 2, where your test will be administered." His voice, as usual, was calm. He then motioned for the group to enter the transport.

It was cramped with the almost 50 recruits, but the flight over was, thankfully, short. There was no window, so Ruby couldn't see outside. Not that there'd be anything to see, as she was stuck in the middle of the ship.

Upon landing, several Infantrymen were waiting for the recruits. As the group spilled out of the Bullhead, the highest ranked Infantryman, a First Sergeant, stepped forward. "Listen up, recruits." He said, his voice somehow able to shake the very ground. "You will be participating in a training exercise to determine whether or not you can make it as a member of BEACON." his voice was clear and sharp.

"You will step forward and enter this pod." He motioned to a pod to his left. "It will take you to your starting location." He turned to the group. "Until you make contact with your teammate, your AURA will not detect friendly targets as friendly." He paused.

When it was clear he wasn't going to continue, the first recruits stepped forward. Ruby was in line behind Yang, barely able to contain her excitement. Yang, on the other hand, was the same cool, even tone she had been her whole life. The blonde had chosen three shoguns; one larger, primary shogun on her back and two, short-barreled guns as her sidearm. "You ready?" Ruby asked.

Yang smirked widely, her AURA already personalized with a dark visor. "Of course." Though Ruby couldn't see Yang's eyes, she could see the concern on her face. "Are you?" The concern was in her voice.

Ruby nodded; they were nearing the pod. "I'm always ready." She said smugly. Yang chuckled.

The pair reached the pod. Yang went first, stepping inside. She gave Ruby one last wave before the pod shot downward, zooming to it's exit point.

Ruby waited until a soldier gave her a motion to approach. Another pod rose from the ground. Ruby's heart was beating like a drum. "The pod doesn't have a momentum reducer." One soldier warned. "Stay relaxed, and don't try to fight unconsciousness. We'll pump the pod with a waking agent before we start the program." He sounded calm, though Ruby started to get nervous. She nodded, stepping inside.

The last thing Ruby saw was the group of recruits shoot up at ridiculous speeds before darkness overtook her.

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**So, there we have it. Let me know what you think of it so far.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Howdy. Chapter 2 up and ready.**

**RapeyLemons: Strength in this story is pretty much realistic. The characters on their own are, compared to the actual show, pretty weak. But that doesn't mean that they aren't capable.  
**

**Ziirroh: Glad you like it! Patience, young grasshopper. Things will be explained in due time. However, there should be plenty of history coming out in the near future that you can fangirl over.**

**Tear of Light: Yeah, I haven't seen a sci-fi RWBY story either, and I really like sci-fi stuff. I figured I give it a shot.**

**With that, enjoy Chapter 2 of _The Vale Order_!  
**

* * *

When did the world start to wobble?

Ruby shook her head violently, clearing the darkness from her mind. Her pod was cruising at a more casual pace, allowing her to return to consciousness. "Man, he wasn't kidding…" She said weakly, finding her legs once more.

The pod was inside a tube that prevented light from entering, so the only illumination came from Ruby's AURA. She pressed a button on her wrist to open the AURA's interface, and started to customize the load out. It didn't take long to do, as Ruby preferred to keep things simple.

She had just finished when the pod slowed suddenly. Bracing herself, she was able to remain upright, barely. Then, the pod began to travel upwards, towards the surface. Ruby readied her rifle, and prepared for combat.

The pod stopped, but she couldn't see beyond it's boundaries. "Polarized." Ruby commented, noting that the pod seemed to glow, but not from an outside source. A blind drop.

Ruby heard something hiss from inside to pod. A sweet smelling gas filled the chamber. "Must be that waking agent…" She added, feeling energy returning to her body. A few moments went by in silence as the other pods were likely pumped with the stuff.

Then, a number appeared on the pod door. 5. Ruby entered a ready stance. 4. She clicked her AURA, activating the device. 3. One last weapon check. 2. "Here we go." 1. A held breath.

The doors opened and Ruby immediately exited. She scanned her surroundings. It looked like a city that was bombed. Tall structures were broken, some still standing, others mangled wrecks. The sky was a mixture of smoke, clouds and fire. If this wasn't Hell, it was pretty damn close.

Then, a jet blew past up above, followed by the ear-splitting cry accompanied by it. Ruby took a quick look at the plane and nodded. A Nevermore-Class fighter. Grimm.

Ruby flipped on her AURA, which beeped almost inaudibly as it scanned the default 15 meters around her. Once she was sure she was in a hidden location, she pulled the radar out, losing the ability to detect individual enemies, but great a mapping out terrain and, in this case, ruins. After reaching nearly 4 kilometers, the radar hit a dead zone. The edge of the arena, obviously.

A quick look at the new map showed Ruby about 700 meters south of the objective. Returning to the normal 15 meter range, Ruby marked a simple path on her AURA and began her trek south.

xXxXx

Weiss Schnee was cautious.

Once she had exited her pod, she immediately scanned the area, finding her objective within the minute. The heiress's path, however, wasn't going to be easy. Several Grimm trackers, or rather, holograms of Grimm trackers, were patrolling the area, making a clean passage difficult. Weiss growled ever so lightly. She would rather be done with the mission, but she couldn't afford recklessness.

Weiss found the ruins of what looked to be a bank and headed there. Her AURA was scanning at maximum range, 50 meters, so she could only barely make out the Grimm squad she was avoiding.

She was avoiding it. The Grimm began to converge, fairly slowly, onto Weiss's location. Another growl. The Grimm must've had AURA-like radars on them. Weiss started to crawl around, hoping to flank them. However, it seemed the Grimm prepared for that, and spread their squad up. The now nearly surrounded the bank, and Weiss was certain they had their weapons trained on her location.

Weiss then hit the 'Stealth' button on her AURA as a last ditch effort to escape. Stealth mode absorbs radar beams, making you effectively invisible, but you cannot use your AURA's radar as a result. Blind your enemy, blind yourself. But it needed to be done if Weiss wanted to escape. One or two Grimm, she could handle. A whole squad? She was good, not suicidal.

Weiss was almost free when a shot nearly hit her cheek. She turned to see the group of Grimm bearing down on her, weapons trained on her. The Grimm were tall, well over 2 meters tall and thicker than even the most heavy set human. They might not be monsters, but there were damn close.

Weiss shot back, taking out one Grimm, and took cover inside the ruins of a gas station. She knew she couldn't stay here forever, but she needed time to think. She occasionally popped a shot at a Grimm when the opening presented itself.

The heiress was too busy trying to plan her escape to see her AURA make contact with another recruit. She continued to defend herself, keeping a close eye on the Grimm as they bore down on her. Thankfully, the squad hadn't gotten bigger. It hadn't gotten smaller either, though. Things weren't looking good for the heiress.

A shot rang out from behind the Grimm squad, taking out one of the Grimm leaders. Several other Grimm turned to the source, but the shots kept coming. Judging by the distance, and the fairly faint but sharp sounds, it must've been a sniper. Weiss was thankful for the help, even if she didn't think she needed it.

The heiress used the distraction to start picking off the enemies. The squad tried to find cover, but the sniper shots were able to puncture even the thickest wall. Before long, every one of the Grimm were defeated, their bodies fading away into low level energy waves, not visible to either human eyes or an AURA.

Weiss scanned the horizon for whoever it was who assisted her. Her AURA flashed 'Contact Made,' but since it was at a long distance, she couldn't get information about the person.

The heiress then heard a voice on her AURA. "So, you alright?" The feminine voice spoke. Weiss knew that voice. Ruby. The heiress frowned deeply. "Obviously not…"

"If we're going to be on a team, you better not do anything stupid!" Weiss shouted. "And where the hell are you!?" The heiress's face began to turn red with anger.

She saw slight movement maybe 80 meters away, near a burned out wooded area. "In the woods. I'm not picking up anything on my AURA. We should regroup and head to the center." Ruby's voice was clear, a natural leader. Weiss's anger subsided slightly. Maybe Ruby was qualified to be a Huntress?

The heiress started towards the other girl, taking great care to keep her profile low to the ground. Grimm had just as many marksman as the Order, so it was a good assumption that this simulation had some as well.

Once Weiss made it to Ruby's position, she noted that the girl was scanning her AURA. "Alright, I marked a path that takes us to the objective while keeping our visibility low." Ruby sent the information to Weiss's AURA, and the white haired girl examined the path. It wasn't the most direct route, maybe a kilometer long, but avoided potential choke points and open fields. However, the objective, what looked to be a warehouse of some kind, had a large open courtyard with no cover.

"What about the courtyard?" Weiss asked. So far, Ruby's plan was quite logical and thought out. It was impressive.

Ruby looked the map over again. "I'll stay behind and cover you. You go inside and collect the scroll and get our exit." The redhead said. "I'll make sure nothing gets to you." The redhead smirked. Weiss nodded.

"Okay then, lets go."

xXxXx

If there was one thing Yang Xiao Long wasn't, it was stealthy. That wasn't to say she couldn't be sneaky when she needed to be, but she preferred to face an enemy rather than skirt around them.

A small squad of Grimm learned of this philosophy firsthand. Yang preferred shotguns, using two different types: An S130, a pump action shotgun made for heavy hitting, and two SE773s, double-barreled shot-pistols meant to be quick and easy to use. If she had to fight at long range, Yang's S130 had an under-mounted 1037 Dust Launcher, which used dust crystals like a bullet with the added bonus of a small explosion.

Suffice it to say, there was very little Yang couldn't kill.

The blonde scanned her AURA quickly, noticing that something was approaching her from behind. It was alone, whatever it was. She smirked. An easy target.

Yang grabbed her S130 and loaded it. She found cover behind the wreckage of a civilian car, and peered over it for a visual confirmation of her target.

It was a lone Grimm hunter, and a pretty tough one from the looks of him. Donning deep red marking over his entire body, the hunter wielded a gun that might've been as tall as Yang. The blonde's smirk deepened. She loved a good challenge.

When the Grimm turned away from her, Yang took a shot. The distance, about 8 meters, made the blast fairly inaccurate, and many of the pellets missed. However, a few of them hit, and they staggered the Grimm, allowing Yang to close the distance.

The Grimm finally turned around in time to see Yang pull out one of her SE733's and shoot it at near point-blank range. The impact caused the Grimm's head to explode in a flash of low-level visible light. The rest of it's body began to fade away in a more controlled way.

Once all enemies were cleared out, Yang checked for her objective. She was still quite a ways away, nearly a full kilometer away. The blonde smirked. She knew she'd run into more Grimm along the way.

Yang had barely moved a few meters when she heard a ping on her AURA, followed by a 'Contact Made' notification. She checked her radar and noticed a blip about 10 meters north of her position. She looked over and saw, barely, black cat-like ears poking over a crumbling wall.

"You can come out." Yang said into her team channel, lowering her weapon. "It's all clear."

Blake exiting from her cover confirmed Yang's suspicions. "I see you prefer a loud approach." Blake said flatly, almost humorously. Yang chuckled, approaching the faunus.

"Yeah, I'm not one for playing it safe." Yang joked as she stepped beside her now teammate. "So, you got a plan?" The blonde asked.

Blake scanned the map on her AURA, and Yang could see several waypoints had been made. "I suggest we take this path." Yang saw the map update on her AURA, and saw a path drawn that was direct, but well covered. "It should limit our exposure while still allowing us to make good time." Yang nodded in reply.

"Sounds good to me." And with that, the blonde took the lead and began the long walk to the objective.

xXxXx

Weiss still didn't trust Ruby completely, but so far the younger girl had been earning that trust. When the pair was nearly ambushed by a squad of Grimm soldiers, Ruby was the one who came up with a plan of action: try to avoid confrontation, but still have the option to fight back effectively. Ruby stayed put while Weiss looped around, on a path that took them around the Grimm camp. Fortunately they didn't alert the Grimm, and they were able to advance without delay.

Now they were at the objective. The courtyard looked big on the map, but it looked even bigger in person. Weiss guessed it had to be almost 30 meters at it's widest, with no cover around. The nearest area where they could avoid enemy fire was almost 40 meters away from their current location.

Ruby scanned the buildings around them. She didn't see any Grimm, but that just meant they weren't in this particular vantage point. "Alright, how quickly do you think you can cover the distance?" Ruby asked, still scanning the surroundings.

Weiss took a careful look at the expanse before her. "On a good day? Maybe 5 seconds." There was confidence in the heiress's voice, but Ruby didn't seem to notice or care.

"And today?" Ruby asked, looking Weiss in the eyes. The heiress faltered slightly.

"Fast enough." Was Weiss's response. Ruby smirked, and set her weapon on a ledge.

"Alright, I'll try to keep anything off of you." Ruby said, pulling the long range scope out of the weapon. Ruby's weapon had a fairly unique sight; The iron sights were mounted on top of the sniper scope, which could collapse into the main body of the rifle. The only thing Ruby was limited by was range. The barrel wasn't long enough to be a precision rifle at distance, but got the job done in a medium range situation.

"Whenever you're ready." Weiss spoke, lowering her weapon, a PT137A, a lightweight, high-fire rate rifle. Weiss hoped she wouldn't have to fight any Grimm inside, but she was confident in her abilities to do so.

"Go." Ruby ordered. Weiss broke into a sprint, willing her legs to move as fast as they could. It felt like an eternity, but in about 6 seconds, Weiss was inside.

"I'm in." Weiss said over the AURA. Ruby gave a beeping response, not speaking lest she disrupt her sight. A true markswoman.

Weiss used her AURA to scan the layout of the building. It was large, with many rooms and hallways. In other words, the perfect place to be ambushed. Weiss honed in on a signal that emanated from the largest cargo room in the warehouse. As she did so, more came in, and more clearly. Obviously those were the scrolls she was looking for.

The huntress noticed that the path there was fairly short, but there were plenty of corners. Setting out with care, Weiss headed down the nearest hallway, her weapon now raised and ready to fire.

Weiss took down a Grimm that made contact as she rounded the first corner. The noise alerted any other Grimm in the building, so Weiss increased the frequency of scans on her AURA. She noticed a group of Grimm approaching on a course that would surround her. Needing cover, Weiss did the only thing she could: She ran.

Holographic bullets whizzed past the heiress as she ran, thankful that her attackers were terrible shots. Weiss noticed the hall split ahead, and that the left path, though it led away from her objective, was safe from an ambush from behind.

Weiss dove around the corner and began to shoot back. She was able to hit several Grimm blindly, but she had a hard time aiming. Being left handed, she couldn't spin around in cover like she would prefer. Still, she was adaptable, and she was able to compensate by shooting less often, allowing her control her shots.

After a firefight that lasted a few minutes, Weiss was clear of all Grimm attackers. She was thankful, too. Her ammo was running low. Not that it mattered, since the ammo was photonic and not physical, and was recharging by the second, but it's recharge rate wasn't very fast: maybe a full clip every 3 minutes. With about half a clip remaining, Weiss was in trouble. Thankfully, she didn't need her remaining ammo.

Once she found the scrolls, she picked the first one she saw. She uploaded the information to her AURA. "Alright, I've got the scroll. I'm on my way back." Weiss heard the confirmation beep from the other end. She then heard the characteristic pierce of sniper fire. "You alright?" Weiss asked with only the slightest bit of concern.

For a moment, no sound came over the AURA. Just when Weiss started to worry, Ruby sent three short, low pitched beeps. The signal that she was in trouble and needed help ASAP. "I'm on my way." The heiress said and immediately tore for the exit.

xXxXx

Yang and Blake worked quite well together.

While Blake preferred stealth and Yang preferred combat, the pair was quick to adapt to any situation.

They were inside the warehouse, littered with bullet impacts and what looked to be slowly fading Grimm, and had just finished off a small group of stragglers.

Blake's weapons were the AW12 and the AY39, two machine-pistols that she used almost elegantly. She kept one in hand at all times, while the other was kept around her waist.

Yang grabbed a scroll and started the download. "Well, that wasn't too hard." She commented, noticing that gunshots were ringing out nearby. "Guess they drew the attention." Yang smirked. Blake kept a flat expression.

"You should keep your guard up." Blake warned. "Grimm are quite good at ambushes." Yang smirked as she headed towards the exit.

"Yeah, but I'm good at kicking ass." She made a thumbs-up gesture towards herself, her confidence practically burning off of her. "So that cancels it out." Blake shook her head in defeat, a small smirk on her face.

xXxXx

Ruby was panting as she reached a gas station almost 300 meters from the warehouse. Weiss followed her in, panting as well, less than a second later. The two had ran the entire distance here at full speed. They hoped they lost their pursuers.

Right after Weiss found the scroll, Ruby got snuck up on by a small group of Grimm, three in all. Ruby barely avoided being hit and took out the three, but that attracted every Grimm within 100 meters. Unable to keep her position, Ruby bolted towards the warehouse, met Weiss as the heiress was exiting, and started running in the general direction of their exit.

"That was close." Ruby said when she could finally speak. Weiss nodded weakly, having never run that far. She was a sprinter, not a marathoner.

"Let's…rest…for a…minute." Weiss breathed out. Ruby nodded in agreement, and laid back almost immediately. She started to steady her breathing, slowly regulating her heart rate, which she could see on her AURA level out at 74 BPM.

Ruby noticed, however, that Weiss's heart rate had only dropped slightly, and was currently leveling out at 98 BPM. Weiss was also still breathing quite quickly. "Weiss, are you okay?" Ruby asked, a small amount of concern entering her words.

Weiss breathed out what sounded to be a "Yes.", but it was hoarse. Ruby sat down in front of the heiress.

"You need to slow your breathing, otherwise you'll strain your heart." Ruby said, putting one hand on Weiss's shoulder. Ruby motioned for Weiss to breathe in, and then, after a few seconds, breath out. The two did this for a few moments before Weiss was able to do it on her own.

Thankfully, with this help, Weiss was able to regulate her heart rate to a much more stable 81 BPM. Still high, but safer.

"You need to breathe steadily when you run a long distance." Ruby said once Weiss was breathing normally. "That's all there is to it. Keep breathing." Weiss nodded.

"Why'd you join BEACON, anyways?" Weiss asked suddenly. It was a question she had been dying to know the answer to. What was a girl of 17 doing joining the military, and the most elite branch at that?

Ruby thought for a moment. "Well, my mom's a Lieutenant Colonel." Ruby said shortly. "And, well, I wanted to help people." She said it like it was obvious. "Besides, what the heiress to the largest business in the Order doing in the military?" Ruby countered.

Weiss was caught off guard by the question. "Well…" She started, trying to find the right words. "I just wanted to make a name for myself." She said after a few moments of silence. "I don't want to be known for my family's business." Ruby nodded.

"Fair enough." She said simply. Then she heard a beep on her AURA. "More Grimm." She said, grabbing her weapon. "Come on, we should move." Ruby stood up, helped Weiss to her feet, and exited to the east, towards their exit.

xXxXx

Yang and Blake stood at the edge of what appeared to be the ruins of a large park. "So, this is where our exit is?" Yang asked rhetorically, sounded almost let down.

Blake double checked the map. The coordinates from the scroll were inside, less than 100 meters away. "Yes, our evac point is in here." She confirmed. Yang shrugged, and started inside.

They were approaching the exit when they heard a Nevermore scream overhead. It was gone almost as soon as it came, but Blake frowned. "We might be expecting company before long." She commented. Yang smirked.

The two found a good cover, a gazebo, only 10 meters from their exit point. The gazebo had a thick wall and gave the pair a 360 degree view of the park. Barring running out of ammunition, they could hold their own forever.

The first patrols were on them less than 5 minutes later. It wasn't long until larger squads found their position. Gunfire rang out ceaselessly. Yang focused on the northern front, while Blake held the southern approach.

Things were going smoothly until Blake saw something approaching at good speed. Faster than on foot, slower than a Nevermore. She growled ever so much.

"Borbatusk inbound." She warned. Yang turned around just as the jeep-like vehicle, fitted with a chain gun and armored to the teeth, rolled onto the grass. Immediately, the turret spun up, peppering the pair with bullets.

Yang took cover next to Blake on the south wall. Fortunately, the steel wall stopped the bullets, but now the Grimm from the north could advance without delay.

"Cover me." Blake ordered. Yang nodded, waited for the turret to stop firing, and unloaded her Dust weapon, hitting the Grimm on the turret square in the head. She then started to fire at the others in cover.

Blake pulled out a flash grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it over the south wall. Yang saw this and immediately dropped, looking anywhere but south. Blake did the same.

A second later, a light nearly as bright as the sun was unleashed, blinding anyone foolish enough to be looking at it. It lasted maybe 2 milliseconds, but it gave Blake an opportunity to begin defending the northern flank.

She started unloading on the nearest Grimm, who stumbled aimlessly before dropping dead. Yang hit one nearby, the force of her shot knocking him onto his back.

Blake turned south just in time to see the turret spin up. She dragged Yang to the ground just before a spray of bullets flew overhead. Though the pair were not hit, several Grimm on the north flank were cut down in the wave.

Yang growled audibly. This wasn't looking good. Yes, they weren't in real danger, but failure here, less than 10 meters from their objective, would be terrible.

"Need some help, sis?"

Yang perked up as a voice crackled over her AURA. "Ruby, when'd you get here!?" Yang shot back, trying to pinpoint her sister's voice on her map.

It wasn't long before several shots rang out, and the turret fire died down. Yang looked up to see Ruby and Weiss gunning down the Borbatusk from further south. The Grimm there scattered, trying to find cover.

Blake immediately cut them down, the cross fire leaving very little areas safe. Yang began to fire on the northern group, keeping them from advancing closer.

Weiss slipped into the gazebo next to Yang and began to unleash covering fire. Yang took the cue and advanced out of the gazebo and towards the Grimm. She was able to jump from cover to cover, eliminating any enemy in her way.

Ruby was on the south side of the Borbatusk, now filled with dead Grimm, using it as a cover. Blake's covering fire allowed the redhead to pick off each individual Grimm one by one.

What was near failure was now a total success. Once all Grimm were dead, the four converged on the gazebo.

Yang immediately bear hugged Ruby, causing the younger girl to squeak. "That was awesome!" The blonde gushed, her voice full of pride. "I'll have to tell that to mom when we get back to the bay."

Blake looked around. "We aren't out of this yet." Weiss nodded.

"Yeah, we still need our evac transport." The heiress said. Yang looked to the sky for a Bullhead. None came.

"Hellllooooo!" Yang called out, as if there was a transport hiding in the sky. "We're ready to be picked up!" Weiss face palmed.

"I don't think they can hear you, Yang…" Blake droned, looking at her AURA. "Maybe we have to wait?" Her guess wasn't the most promising idea.

Just then, their AURA's all crackled. "Team formed." The robotic voice of the Emerald Forest spoke. "Exit craft inbound. ETA 10 minutes." A timer then appeared on the girls AURA's, counting up.

"Okay then, we wait." Ruby said. "We should keep ready in case-" BOOM!

The girls turned around to see an Ursa Tank bearing down on them, the large vehicle having just let off a cannon shot. Yang let out a curse, quickly scanning for something that could withstand an explosion.

"Over here!" Weiss called out, motioning towards an wooded area about 30 meters away. It wasn't thick, but it would make an accurate shot hard, and the trees were still quite thick. The four ran towards the woods, another cannon blast hitting nearby. The explosion caused Ruby, who brought up the rear, to stumble, but she didn't stop her sprint.

Once in cover, they noticed several Grimm headed for them. Ruby and Weiss began to fire on them, trying to thin them out. All the while, Ruby was devising a plan of attack.

She noticed that the park was fairly open, so any movement would need to be covered, either by a decoy or covering fire. The Ursa's main cannon had a reloading period of about 10 seconds, and there wasn't much in the park that could survive a direct hit.

However, there was a ditch that ran around the south-eastern side of the park, covered by the trees. It held a vantage point of the Ursa's cockpit. It would take a careful shot to hit it, though.

"Weiss, Blake." Ruby said, her plan ready. "I need you to provide a decoy for me." She said. Blake looked at Ruby with a look of uncertainty, but Weiss seemed confident in Ruby's ability.

"You got it." Weiss said simply. Blake nodded after a second of thinking. The two began to circle to the west, following the tree line and, as planned, drawing the attention of the Ursa.

"Yang, with me." Ruby said, and led the blonde into the ditch. "I need you to cover me while I set up the shot." Ruby added, approaching where she deemed was a good shooting point.

Yang was intrigued with her younger sister's plan, but she didn't vocalize her interest. She trusted Ruby to pull this plan through.

Weiss and Blake had set up about 50 meters from the Ursa, spread out to make it harder to hit either of them. The Ursa seemed 100% focused on trying to take out the pair, and Blake hoped that was the plan. She didn't like risking her success in a way like this, especially this plan failed.

Ruby set her weapon into it's sniper form, and aimed at the Ursa. She could hit the driver, but if another Grimm entered the seat, then it wouldn't matter. She needed to hit the fuel cell, and blow the thing sky high.

She scanned the tank and noticed an opening underneath the cannon's mounting, where it pivoted. According to her AURA's database, this opening lead to missile storage. She hoped there were still missiles inside.

She waited, her breath held, for the cannon to fire, and counted down. 10 seconds to the next shot. She needed to hit the missile as it was ready to fire.

She let the shot off, hitting where the missile was, and watched as a small explosion filled the cockpit of the Ursa. Then, the entire thing went up in a fantastic explosion. The remaining Grimm turned to the explosion in disbelief. They were easily taken out by the four in their confusion.

The four regrouped at the gazebo, which had been hit by a stray cannon blast. "Well…" Yang said after a few moments of silence. "That was a…thing."

Almost immediately after, a Bullhead transport roared into the area. It wasn't long before the four piled into the transport, and they were ferried to where they began the mission from.

"Alright." The pilot said as they landed. "Head inside and go to GEN Ozpin." The four nodded, headed inside, and immediately found Ozpin. The General was sipping coffee from a mug.

"Congratulations." He said casually. "You four have completed your initial training." He was handed a scroll from an aide.

"The four of you will now be a part of team RWBY." He said, looking at the details. "Until further notice, Ruby Rose will be your team leader."

Ruby gasped lightly. Yang gave her younger sister a side hug, a smirk on her face.

"I've arranged for you to return to the Emerald Forest. LTC Goodwitch will direct you to your new bay room." He said as he set the scroll down.

"Dismissed."


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, I'm back with Chapter 3 of _The Vale Order._ I know it's a little delayed compared to the previous two chapters, but I wanted to make sure everything was just right. A lot of the backstory, history, and future plans will be discussed as we progress further into the story. And much of the time I spent writing this was focused on these very things. This chapter might suffer for it, but hopefully you guys still enjoy it.**

**Ziiroh: Glad you liked it. The idea to name the various vehicles after Grimm was a plan I had when I decided to make the Grimm more or less humanlike. And, as for Team JNPR, I think this chapter answers that question.**

**Tear of Light: Glad you are liking the story. I can understand not being able to visualize the Grimm because, honestly, I never really put a whole lot of thought into it. However, since I recently did, I decided that they might look something like 7 foot tall werewolves, with a slender but powerful frame. Much less fur, though. Hope that helps!**

**Anyways, I'll go ahead and stop talking now. You guys probably didn't come so I could talk your ears off. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Team RWBY, your objective is simple: capture the enemy flag and return it to your base along side your own." A computerized voice spoke over the four's AURA. Team RWBY was gathered inside one of the many training facilities on board the Emerald Forest. This simulation was to assess the team's ability in leading soldiers in a battle.

The battle they were simulating was a particularly important faunus battle. The Battle of Niashi Goli was one of the first large scale battles on Menagerie, and important for many reasons. In particular, it helped thrust the Arata Alliance into power, giving them a near stranglehold on Haisa. It also signaled the end of the Tenanas Empire's reign.

Team RWBY had been put in charge of the Arata Alliance, the joint military/political power formed by the merging of the Arata Kingdom and the Renya Republic. The goal, which had been simplified to capturing a flag that the Tenanas had, was to be handled as one would a real life battle.

Immediately, Ruby looked the battlefield over. The area was fairly flat, with few mountains. However, forests covered a lot of the land, giving plenty of area for an army to hide. Rivers crisscrossed the land as well, and the southern portion of the battlefield was a soggy swamp.

Ruby was, as leader of Team RWBY, in charge of the entire army, but each of the others had their own force to command. Weiss had control of the Ranger Division, a fast, light force useful at attacking from a distance. Blake was in command of the cavalry, mounted on large, horse-sized felines called 'Renyan Twintails' for their double spine. She would have the fastest ground force under her command. Yang was in command of the armored division. This force consisted of the heavy weaponry. Catapults, trebuchets, ballistae. It suited Yang's philosophy of "Keep hitting it until it falls down".

"Alright, there's a clearing just a few hundred meters north of our location." Ruby said after a long silence. "Chances are it's an ambush to head this way." A sound deduction. The clearing was flanked on the east by a forest, and the west by the only mountains in the area. However, there went many ways to cross into Tenanas land that were fairly safe.

Weiss stood next to Ruby, looking over a map. The simulation worked similarly to the real-time strategy games that were popular among the youth of Vale. The heiress was impressed with Ruby's knack for combat. Whether it be in actual combat or command, she was a natural.

The heiress noticed that the forest, though fairly thick, wasn't very wide, maybe a kilometer at most. Or rather, it was scaled that way. On Menagerie, the forest was nearly a hundred kilometers at it's narrowest. However, a full scale map would take too much power to render, and the battle would take weeks.

"We should send a decoy unit into the pass." Blake said suddenly. The faunus knew how the battle went: she was extremely knowledgeable about her past. "If there is an ambush waiting, we would lose only a few hundred soldiers compared to a few thousand." Blake's idea was solid, but Ruby wasn't convinced.

"Yeah, but those few hundred could help later." Ruby countered. Unnecessary loses were something Ruby tended to avoid. Strength in numbers and all that.

"But if there is an ambush waiting, and we send our entire force in, then it wouldn't matter." Weiss said frankly. The redhead looked at her partner with a curious look. She weighed her options before making the decision.

"Alright. Blake, send in some of your troops. Me and Weiss will take ours through the forest." Ruby ordered, setting the plan into motion. Given that the pass would be the most likely entry point, the other team would be protecting it at all costs. It was the only way that siege weaponry could get through. At least, for the moment.

"Be careful on the other side." Yang warned, her force left with most of Blake's to protect the base. "If that other team's any good, they'll be keeping a watch on the forest." The idea was solid. Plan on multiple fronts. Don't get caught from behind. Ruby nodded.

"You got it."

xXxXx

Team JNPR was gathered at their base camp, the Tenanas fort in the area, watching as a small force entered the pass. 'Just as Pyrrha predicted.' Jaune Arc thought.

Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren formed Team JNPR. At first glance, they seemed to be the perfect team. Of course, you can never judge a book by it's cover.

Jaune Arc wasn't sure of himself. He had a knack for leading, that could be seen. But his other skills were less than impressive. He didn't have the most accurate aim, and he tended to avoid confrontation. However, there was no denying that, when push came to shove, he was one of the most talented leaders in BEACON.

Pyrrha Nikos stood next to Jaune, her flaming red hair easily distinguished from his blond. The woman was in charge of the ground forces in the simulation. She watched as Team RWBY's small group began it's trek through the pass.

"Something's not right…" Pyrrha commented. The force was nowhere near the full size of the Arata army. It wasn't even close to a 10th. "They're trying to feel us out." Pyrrha added. Why else would someone send a squad this small through the only clear pass?

"They must know we planned to ambush them." Lie Ren, referred to as Ren by everyone, spoke. His hair was jet black, save for one pink lock. His pink eyes held a combination of softness and hardness in them. "Keep an eye on the forests." He suggested. Nora, a short ball of energy with bright orange hair, nodded.

Jaune looked the battle field over. Their battle plan was simple: Keep the pass covered and force Team RWBY to cross through the forest to have a chance. Then, meet the scattered forces there and destroy them. A simple but effective plan.

"We should take out that small group." Nora suggested, looking at the enemy force. It wasn't large, maybe a few hundred soldiers, none of them important. "Make them have to take the forests." Ren and Pyrrha nodded.

Jaune, however, shook his head. "Hm?" Nora wondered, looking at her leader curiously. "Why not?" The short girl sounded almost dejected, like a child who was told no.

Jaune sighed. "If we let them know we planned to ambush them in the pass, they would go through the forest." Jaune started, pointing at the path they were covering. "However, if we let them think we aren't covering the pass, they might decide to send a larger force through." Jaune mentioned.

Pyrrha looked at the field again. "Maybe, but if they send their forces through the woods, then we'd be caught from behind." She commented, pointing out the path out of the woods. Jaune nodded.

"Then we just need to cover both." He said, marking each area. "Nora and Ren could cover the pass while me and you keep the forests covered." He suggested, splitting the army up accordingly.

Ren looked it over. "It could work." He said, not noticing any major flaws. "Alright, let's go." Ren ordered his force to keep the pass covered, as did Nora. Pyrrha and Jaune moved their forces into position around the edge of the forest.

Now they hoped Team RWBY wasn't planning for this as well…

xXxXx

Ruby's scouts noticed movement on the edge of the forest. It seemed Team JNPR wasn't easily fooled. The squad that entered the pass had yet to be attacked. So either Team JNPR wasn't covering the pass, or they weren't showing their whole hand. The former seemed almost impossible: the pass was the most direct route into Tenanas territory.

"Well, this isn't good." Ruby commented. Her force was stalled in the woods, not ready to exit. Weiss's was behind hers, a second wave in case combat couldn't be avoided. "Team JNPR has half their army outside to woods waiting for us." Yang made a noise of annoyance.

"Their idiot of a leader's actually pretty good…" Weiss commented. She was looking at the map. There wasn't a lot of options. They could head through the pass and get destroyed by the ambush they knew was there. Or, they could head through the forest and have a more even, but still lopsided, fight.

"Blake, you got any ideas?" Ruby asked, also looking the map over. Of the two options they had, the forest was the less likely to fail, but it was still a pretty long shot.

There was silence for almost a minute. "We could spring the trap in the pass." She suggested. Ruby was curious.

"Yeah, okay?" Yang said over the AURA. Her voice was less curious and more sarcastic. "And then we'd get our asses handed to us. Good plan." Ruby had to hold back a chuckle.

Blake, however, didn't sound like she was laughing. "We strike first." She said flatly. "They wouldn't expect us to attack them, especially since they have the high ground." Ruby thought it over. It was risky, but it had the element of surprise.

"I still don't think it'll work." Yang commented, her voice less sarcastic and more realistic. "Even if we do attack, what's to say they won't just send more into the pass?"

Yang's voice lowered as she finished the question. Ruby smirked. "That's the idea, isn't it?" She asked. Make them think the battle was there, then attack from the woods.

You could hear Blake's smile over the AURA. "Exactly. It's what actually happened at Niashi Goli." Blake's voice held an air of pride.

"Alright, Blake, go ahead and press the attack." Ruby said. "Yang, give her some support. We need to make it look like we're attacking them there." Ruby added, getting confirmations from her teammates. She then turned to Weiss.

"We'll need to be ready to move after them." She said. Weiss nodded in agreement.

xXxXx

Jaune looked at the pass in disbelief. His plan was actually working? When did this happen?

Ren and Nora were caught slightly off guard by the sudden attack by Team RWBY. Actually, they were caught off guard by the fervor by which Team RWBY was attacking.

"It seems your plan's working, Jaune." Pyrrha commented, looking over the enemy force. It could pass as a small army, and while it wasn't the full force of Team RWBY, it was more than Ren and Nora could fight off.

"We should give them help." Jaune added, noticing that his other teammates were quickly losing ground. "I'll send my force in, you keep your's here." Jaune ordered, sending his force towards the pass.

Pyrrha looked at the map with concern.

xXxXx

Blake smirked. "They took the bait." She said over the AURA. "They must think we're planning to attack here."

Ruby looked at Weiss and nodded. The two mobilized their units and exited the forest. As suspected, a small enemy force awaited them. Fortunately, the battle wasn't long or difficult. The enemy retreated, headed towards the pass. Ruby smirked.

"I'll head into the pass after them. Weiss, you head to the enemy base." Ruby ordered. Weiss nodded, sending her unit further east while Ruby's went west.

The battle was about to begin.

xXxXx

Jaune was agitated.

It seemed he fell for his very own trap. After sending his forces in to assist Ren and Nora, a large force exited the woods and began to pursue Pyrrha's force. Broken, Pyrrha brought them to the pass. Now, Team JNPR was fighting a two fronted battle.

But Jaune had a plan.

"Nora, Ren, pull your forces out and return to the base." Jaune ordered, looking on as the Tenanas army was getting destroyed by the Arata. "Pyrrha, you and me will head back up the hills." Pyrrha nodded.

Their forces scattered, fleeing into the mountains as Team RWBY followed them. There was a small wooded area on the other side of the mountains, which gave way to some highlands.

Once in the woods, Jaune and Pyrrha stopped their retreat. With the bulk of Team RWBY's force after them, Ren and Nora could defend the base from the small group that headed that way.

"Once you push them back, strike the main force from behind." Jaune ordered. Nora and Ren made noises of acknowledgement over the AURA.

Now they were on the defensive.

xXxXx

Ruby was worried. This was too easy.

Sure enough, before she finished the thought, Weiss encountered a large force. Unable to fight that much, she pulled out, returning to the pass and linking up with the main force.

"Now what?" Yang asked, noticing they were pretty well exposed.

Ruby looked around. Half of JNPR's force was in the woods on the other side of the mountain. The other half was bearing down on them.

However, that seemed to be the plan. Follow them up the mountain, then get attacked from both sides. The forest to their east was the only way out.

"Weiss, you and Blake head back to camp." Ruby ordered. This wasn't the time to fight. "Me and Yang will head into the woods and wait for them to regroup." The three nodded and did as they were told.

xXxXx

Where was Team RWBY?

"What do you mean they aren't here?" Jaune asked Ren when his teammate relayed the information.

Ren sighed. "I mean, they aren't in the pass." His voice held a slight bit of annoyance. Jaune sighed heavily.

xXxXx

So far so good. It seemed that Team JNPR was confused.

"Alright, Blake. Send your group around." Ruby ordered. Blake made a noise of affirmation.

Blake's force headed through the forest and into the plains. They were going to be decoys, hopefully drawing the bulk of JNPR's forces into the open.

The idea, known as 'Karenia Sheani,' was a military tactic used by faunus armies. It involves shadowing an opposing force and striking them from behind. Fittingly, Karenia Sheani translated to 'Shadow Strike.'

Ruby just hoped the plan wouldn't backfire.

xXxXx

Pyrrha noticed a sizable force exiting from the forest. It wasn't a whole army, but it was definitely a threat.

"There they are." The flame haired girl told Jaune, pointing the enemy force out. Jaune noticed it with a small smile.

"Alright. Nora, Ren, you guys cut them off." Jaune spoke. Pyrrha frowned. "What?" The blond asked.

Pyrrha looked the field over. "We should surround them." She suggested. "Our force would be regrouped. Besides, chance are they would send in their main force after this." Jaune thought about the plan.

Ren, however, wasn't to thrilled with the plan. "I don't think we should do it." He said plainly. The frown was audible in his voice. "It leaves us open to an attack." Nora made a noise of agreement.

Jaune sighed. "Let's go."

xXxXx

Poor Jaune. He was a good leader. He just wasn't the brightest bulb in the bunch.

As soon as Team JNPR bit on the decoy, Ruby, Weiss and Yang all followed them into the battle. Blake's forces were quite able to fend off the majority of Team JNPR's force, so that when Ruby, Weiss and Yang joined the fray, Blake's forces sustained heavy, but not total, casualties.

After that, JNPR tried to retreat, but Blake's mounted forces were able to cut them off halfway up the main path. The battle would be bloody and fairly one-sided.

Shortly thereafter, the simulation was ended by the administrator, Dr. Oobleck, the chief historian on board the Emerald Forest.

"Impressive!" Oobleck's voice boomed into the simulation bay. Both teams were inside the now plain room, though on opposite sides, separated by a glass wall in the room's center. Team JNPR looked disappointed, most evident on Pyrrha's face. Team RWBY, naturally, looked pleased.

"Team RWBY, excellent use of Karenia Sheani." Oobleck complemented, his voice somewhat impressed. Ruby beamed widely, very subtly jumping in place.

Oobleck then directed his words to Team JNPR. "Private Nikos." The Dr. started, his voice even. "Brute force is not the only way to win a battle." He said plainly. "I hope you can learn from this experience." Pyrrha's face fell ever so much.

"You are dismissed."

xXxXx

The Emerald Forest was currently in orbit around the Beta system for refueling. Their ultimate destination was Eta, where the Hunters-in-training would undergo a rigorous training regimen to prepare them for combat.

They had left Vytal 11 days ago. Though, because of time dilation, the trip had felt like it had only taken 9 days. Funny thing, relativity.

Team RWBY had been assigned their own bay following their initiation. It wasn't the largest or most luxurious room on the Emerald Forest, but it was adequate enough for four Huntresses.

Ruby entered the room full of energy. She didn't doubt that she'd do well in the simulation. She always had a knack for combat. However, socially, Ruby wasn't the most successful person, despite her mother's and, more importantly, sister's attempt to break her out of her shell.

Weiss looked at her leader with a mixture of awe and annoyance. On one hand, Ruby was a great leader. She could see how a battle was forming, how it was breaking down, and plan her team's actions accordingly.

However, if she wasn't in combat, Ruby could be, for lack of a better word, annoying. She was constantly talking. She never sat still. She acted like a child. And worse, Yang seemed to encourage it.

At the moment, the four were on their bunks, each left to their own devices. Ruby was skimming over the after-action report of their simulation, looking it over for any missed opportunities or failed actions. Weiss was reading a history book, learning as much as she could about the history of the faunus. Blake was…chanting? It was odd, whatever it was. Still, she wasn't making a lot of noise. Not as much as the blonde who slept above her, anyways. Yang seemed to be listening to the most recent 'Achieve Men' album, singing along to the music.

"Um, could you please stop?" Weiss said, loud enough to be heard over the music blaring into Yang's ears. The blonde looked at Weiss and pulled the headphones off her head.

"Um, I'm sorry. What was that?" She asked innocently. For a woman with a…fairly endowed chest, Yang could act worse than Ruby at times. Speaking of the leader, she giggled softly from above Weiss.

The heiress sent a glare towards the blonde. "Some of us are trying to concentrate." She said coldly. To further her point, she motioned to Blake. The faunus woman didn't seem to notice either way, but that didn't matter. Yang's face simply remained innocent.

"Oh." She said plainly. She poked her head down to look at Blake, who didn't give the blonde a look one way or the other. Yang flipped her head upright once more, a goofy smile on her face. "She doesn't seem to mind!" Her voice was full of joy.

Ruby stifled laughter from her bunk. Weiss shot up, fuming, and turned to Ruby. "You're our leader!" The white haired girl half-shouted. Ruby shrunk slightly, but for her part, didn't back down completely.

"Yeah, and?" She countered plainly. "We all need some time to ourselves every now and then." She argued, her voice casual. "What we do with that time is up to us."

Weiss groaned loudly. From her bunk, Blake huffed. Her concentration broken, she collected herself and turned to the heiress.

"We all have different ways of cooling off after a mission." She said knowingly. "It seems that Yang prefers to listen to obnoxious boy bands." The raven haired woman said with the slightest bit of mirth. Yang frowned slightly. "I prefer to meditate, and Ruby seems content with scrutinizing the details of our previous mission." Blake's voice was calm and even.

Weiss, however, was still angry. "Well, blondie here needs to keep it down with the singing!" She shot back. It was clear that the heiress had been beaten. Ruby just sighed.

"Weiss, we get it." The redhead said softly. She turned to Yang. "Do you think you could keep the singing to yourself, Yang?" Ruby asked her sister casually. "You aren't all that good, anyways." She added teasingly.

That worked, because Yang's frown turned into a smile. "I'm still leagues ahead of you, little sis." Yang shot back. Ruby simply stuck her tongue out at Yang. Blake silently laughed at the sisters' antics. Weiss, however, didn't seemed amused.

However, she remained silent as she returned to her bunk, her face still torn in a scowl. There was still a long way to go before this team could work as a well oiled machine.

xXxXx

"I'm really sorry, guys." Pyrrha said for what felt like the hundredth time, as Team JNPR entered their bay. Jaune sighed heavily as he fell onto his bunk.

"It's alright, Pyrrha." Ren said for what also felt like the hundredth time. "Your plan had merit. Team RWBY just planned a few steps ahead." He groaned as he sat on his bunk, barely avoiding a certain orange haired bundle of energy.

"Aw, c'mon guys, quit being such downers!" Nora said cheerily as she bounced into a sitting position. Using Ren as leverage, she stood up. The black haired man groaned as he felt the extra weight on his shoulders. "We should do something fun!" Nora was literally bouncing at the suggestion.

Jaune sat up. "What?" He asked plainly. Sure, he was all for something relaxing, but there wasn't a whole lot to do at the moment. Being still in training, they had limited access to the Emerald Forest's facilities. If it didn't involve training, they couldn't do it.

Pyrrha sat on her bunk primly. "We could always head to the Coliseum." She suggested. "I thought I heard some soldiers talking about a Grifball match being live-streamed." She added. Nora practically jumped out of her skin. Ren seemed less enthusiastic, but he was liking the idea.

Jaune shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He stood up. Nora charged him and nearly knocked him over, placing her hands on his shoulders and shaking him quite violently. "Ah, st-stop Nor-ra!" Jaune managed to stutter out.

Fortunately, Ren grabbed the fireball and pulled her away. "Thanks, Ren…" Jaune said breathlessly.

xXxXx

Ruby had just finished reading over the after-action report when an alarm blared throughout the ship.

"_All personnel to battle stations! Repeat, all personnel to battle stations! This is not a drill!"_ The automated voice rang out, clearly audible over the screaming sirens.

The four looked at each other with hesitation. Before anything could be said, their AURA's flashed a message. _"All recruits report to the staging area ASAP. This is not a drill."_ It read.

Without a single word, the four sprinted out of their bay, only one thing on their minds.

The Emerald Forest was under attack.

* * *

**...Aaandd cliffhanger! Hopefully, from this point onwards, I can begin to focus on the team dynamics of each group. There will be a lot of combat coming up, and none of it is simulated! They're playing for keeps now.  
**

**Well, leave a comment if you liked it. And I'll see about getting back at you in the next chapter!  
**


	4. Chapter 4, part I

**And here we go. Chapter 4 is up. Things have been hectic the last few days, so I wasn't able to get this chapter out when I wanted to. I'm trying to keep on a weekly schedule, but every time I've wanted to keep on a schedule I inevitably fail. I'll try to update on Tuesdays from now on, but I can't guaranty anything.**

**Anyways, here we go with the story.**

**Ziirroh: Yeah, I guess Nora's gonna be sad. And yes, I am a fiend. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Team RWBY had barely exited their bay when the entire ship shook violently. Weiss had to reach out and grab Yang's shoulder to keep herself upright. Whatever was happening out there was big.

They entered the staging area, which was full of other recruits, less than a minute later. Another blast shook the ship, this time with much less force. A First Sergeant stood before the recruits. He looked to be a Marine.

"Listen up!" He spoke, his voice loud without even trying. "The Emerald Forest is under attack by two Grimm Deathstalkers." The room remained silent, if slightly shocked. "You will be assisting the Marines in defending this ship from any boarders that the Grimm are sending our way."

Ruby looked at her teammates. While there was the obvious shock on their faces, there was also determination. The Emerald Forest was under attack, and they would have to defend it.

The ship shook again, and this time a faint explosion could be heard. Emergency alarms began to blare, a signal that there was an outer hull breach.

"Alright, get your weapons and report to your designated locations! Move!" The sergeant shouted, before a small contingent of marines entered the staging area. Every recruit headed to the armory to grab their weapons.

Ruby grabbed her rifle and several clips of ammo. She handed them to Yang, who began to put them into a satchel. Yang took clips from every other member of the team and placed them within. Once that was settled, Yang stuffed the satchel with her own ammo, before grabbing her weapons and following the group.

Ruby waited until her AURA flared with orders: _Team RWBY, you will be headed to Deck 6 where you will fight off Grimm boarders._ The orders were clear and precise. Deck 6 was mostly devoid of civilian personnel and was mainly used for storage.

"Deck 6, guys." Ruby said shortly. It wouldn't be a long trip: Deck 6 was directly above them. That also meant that they were fighting a little closer to home than they would have preferred.

The three others nodded, marking the path they were going to take. Their AURA's showed them the exact location that they would be defending. It was on the other side of the ship, closer to the vehicle warehouses. The group began to head that direction.

As they entered the central mall, Ruby looked up and noticed the large window had been covered by a blast shield, to help prevent a very dangerous decompression. If that window was shattered, nearly half of the Emerald Forest would be exposed to the vacuum of space. A precaution worth taking.

The group was on Deck 6 within the minute. They had just finished climbing the stairs when a powerful blast rocked the ship, followed by the sounds of an explosion. While sound may not travel through space, it can travel through the ship.

The four arrived at their destination and met up with a group of marines ready for combat. The leader of this group was Gunnery Sergeant Hardy. "Welcome to Flare Squad, Hunters." He said plainly, barely turning to face them. "You might not be marines, but right now, you follow my orders. Understood?" GSG Hardy was stern, but his voice didn't harbor any resentment or distrust. Formalities were an unnecessary luxury on a battlefield.

Ruby nodded once for her team. She scanned the warehouse: There were a few access panels scattered through the room, as well as a few computer stations. This warehouse didn't house any vehicles. Instead, it seemed to be where computers were stored.

The room wasn't small. There was a balcony above them, skirting the walls. There were a few marksman already up there, their weapons trained on an airlock at the other end of the room. On the other side, according to Ruby's AURA, was a hallway with little actually attached to it. It did, however, has access to the exterior of the ship.

"The Grimm are using Bandersnatches to board the Emerald Forest." GSG Hardy commented. Grimm vessels had different docking configurations than Vale ships. This meant that the Grimm had to cut through the outer hull of the Emerald Forest to enter the ship. Either that, or use one of the access panels.

The Bandersnatch was the most common type of Grimm transport. It was suitable for both space and atmospheric action, and was capable of very short multi-dimensional jumps. It was also capable of latching onto other ships and giving the Grimm an easy entrance.

Ruby noticed that, above the airlock, there was a balcony that wasn't being used. "Weiss, head to that balcony there." Ruby spoke, pointing to it. Weiss looked at it, nodded, and headed over. GSG Hardy gave Ruby an odd look, but remained silent.

"Gunny, Bandersnatch incoming." A private said over the AURA. While not outfitted with an AURA, the marines of Flare Squad were outfitted with radio units that functioned like very simplified AURAs. Almost immediately following this warning, there was a loud, dull thud, followed by the sounds of metal being sheared.

"Stand ready!" GSG Hardy commanded, his own weapon, the N131 standard issue rifle, trained on the airlock. Ruby, Blake and Yang were facing the airlock, their weapons also at the ready. Weiss, not wanting to be in the line of fire, was slightly to the right of the airlock, in flanking position.

The cutting stopped after a moment, but was quickly replaced with the sound of a fierce wind. The sound quickly became quiet, silencing itself within seconds. GSG Hardy frowned.

"Strap yourselves down!" He ordered. Flare Squad scampered to strap themselves to whatever was nearest to them and bolted down. Ruby linked herself, Blake, and Yang to a computer station. Weiss was strapped to the railing of the balcony, along with nearly every other marine up there.

The dull thud of the Bandersnatch slamming into the Emerald Forest's hull resonated throughout the warehouse. This was followed by the first door of the airlock opening.

"Ready…" GSG Hardy said over the radio. Everybody in the room gripped their weapon tighter.

The airlock opened to a whoosh, as the low pressure outside 'sucked' the air out of the room. There wasn't a fear of total decompression. If the outer hull wasn't sealed, the airlock wouldn't open short of being cut through. Still, the wind was enough to pull Ruby like she weighed nothing.

GSG Hardy probably said "Fire!", but the wind made it hard to hear. Still, immediately, shots rang out. Within a few seconds, the wind died down, the hall now at equal pressure to the warehouse. The Grimm were decked in pressure suits to keep them safe in the vacuum they created, but they were still able to fight without restrictions.

Once the wind had died down, Ruby undid her team's bindings and began to fire at the airlock. It didn't really matter where you were aiming: The airlock wasn't wide, so if any Grimm were in it, they'd likely be hit and killed.

That is until a large metal slab started to move through the airlock. The shield kept the bullets from reaching the Grimm, and slowly they were able to advance on the marines.

Ruby's AURA scanned the metal. It was composed of mostly iron, with trace amounts impurities. It was about 7 inches thick. She frowned. That was too thick to penetrate without armor-piercing rounds, and she didn't have any of those.

Yang, however, already had a plan formed. She moved around the edge, up to where Weiss was. She handed the white haired girl a grenade. "Think you can make it?" The blonde asked with a hint of humor.

Weiss smirked, pulled the pin, and waited three full seconds. Yang mimicked the action, waiting a second or so longer, and tossed her grenade right into the moving shields.

"Get down!" Yang called out, laying as flat as she could on the balcony, Weiss and the other marines following suit. Ruby and Blake moved as far back as they could, taking cover behind a computer.

The grenades exploded a second later, the two loud bangs offset by less than a second. The metal slabs went flying away from the blast point, the remains of the Grimm inside scattered across the interior of the room.

A silence fell over the room for a few seconds before a broadcast came through. "Flare Squad, head to Section 23." The computerized voice said. GSG Hardy looked over his marines, noticing one of them was gone.

"Alright men, you heard the man. Let's go!" He said flatly. Ruby motioned for her team to begin following the squad, but she stopped when her AURA beeped.

_Team RWBY, please head to Deck 7, Section 5._

Ruby halted her team. "Deck 7, Section 5." She said plainly. The other three nodded. That would take a while…

xXxXx

Team JNPR wasn't in the most successful of situations at the moment.

They had been sent to Deck 21, Section 18, one of the Emerald Forest's many residential districts. This one in particular was where families of BEACON personnel lived.

The Grimm tended to attack residential areas heavily, which drew soldiers away from vital locations like the Engine Room or, even more importantly, the Control Deck. As such, soldiers were spread more or less evenly across the ship.

That meant that the Grimm force here was much larger than the marine force, and the price had shown.

When Jaune first arrived, his AURA counted 15 different marines. Now, his AURA picked up 2 marines. The rest laid scattered throughout the small open area they were currently being held to. The area acted like a small park, complete with trees, benches, and a small gazebo. Normally it'd be full of people enjoying themselves. Not today.

Jaune looked the battlefield over. His team was split: Him and Nora behind one of the park's planters, with Ren and Pyrrha behind another to his left. The two marines were behind one of the airlocks into the area.

The Grimm were trying to overpower them. It was working, too. Jaune's weapon, an N131b, was running dangerously low on ammo. He wasn't sure about his teammates or the other two marines, but judging by their less than enthusiastic firing patterns, they were running low as well.

"We can't stay here." Ren said over the AURA. "There's too many of them." Pyrrha nodded in agreement. This was a battle that wasn't worth dieing over. The civilians had been evacuated to a more protected area. Retreat was a viable, and much more intelligent, plan.

Still, Jaune didn't want to let the Grimm follow. Even if they retreated, sealing the airlock would only delay them.

Nora launching a grenade from her grenade launcher gave Jaune an idea. The park had airlocks because of the glass windows to their right. The windows weren't large, but they were made of Dust, making them extremely difficult to shatter. Nothing short of an explosion could break them.

And Nora loved explosions…

"Ren, do you think a well placed grenade shot could break one of those windows?" Jaune asked, motioning to the windows. Ren looked them over very carefully, scrutinizing every detail.

"It might…" He answered tentatively. "But it'd have to hit it directly." He added. Nora smirked.

"I can make that shot." She said without prompt. Jaune nodded.

"Kid, you're crazy!" One of the marines said over the com. This was followed by. "You'd fit right in."

Jaune noticed that he had only one more clip. "Alright, go. I'll cover you guys." He ordered. As soon as he started to fire, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora all ran for the airlock. The Grimm noted this and began to press forward, their shots becoming more focused.

Ren tossed a flash grenade in the room, and everyone turned away. The bright flash blinded the Grimm enough for Jaune to make his way out of the airlock without delay.

Nora took aim and fired for the window. The grenade crashed directly, blasting the Dust-glass out into space, and sucking the Grimm towards it.

The airlock closed immediately, and Jaune swore he saw a Grimm get decapitated by the door's nearly instantaneous closing. Fortunately, the head was inside the airlock, not on their side.

"You alright?" Pyrrha asked her teammates. Nora was practically bouncing off the walls, so in other words, she was peachy. Ren looked exhausted, but he nodded in reply. Jaune just gave Pyrrha a weak thumbs up.

"I'm almost out." One of the soldiers said, pointing to his rifle. His buddy nodded in agreement. Jaune looked at his own weapon. The ammo readout read 0. He was totally out.

"What about you guys?" The blonde asked his team. Ren put his hand up and made a small 0. Nora shook her head disheartedly, a small frown on her face. And Pyrrha frowned barely noticeably. "Alright, I think we need to head to the-"

Jaune was cut off by a Grimm charging him, sending him into a nearby bulkhead. It then swiped at the pair of marines and flung their weapons away, the barrels shattered.

Jaune staggered to his feet. He was halfway up when the Grimm clutched his throat and lifted him into the air. The blonde's head was brushing against the roof of the hall, and he was only just above the towering monster.

The Grimm's face looked like something out of an ancient horror story. It looked like a wolf and a human were mixed into one fairly ugly beast. It's pure black skin was coated in a very fine fur, though it, like humans, had hair growing from it's head. This particular Grimm decided to keep it's hair close cut.

The Grimm moved closer to Jaune, it's face barely several centimeters away from the blonde. "H'us aghoch soizhvuira, _human_?" It spoke, a smile audible in it's gravely voice.

Jaune smirked, barely able to stay conscious. "Sorry…" He choked out. "I don't speak ugly." If he was going to die here, he'd at least make a joke or two before he did.

The Grimm laughed, if the noise could be called that. It then began to squeeze Jaune's throat with enough force to cause the blonde to gag. Blackness filled his vision.

Then Jaune felt the floor on his face. He heard, as though through water, a war cry pierce the air. The Grimm turned and saw Pyrrha charging it, the flame-haired girl using one of the busted rifles as a battering ram.

The maneuver might've taken down a man. Heck, it might've taken down a bear. But the girl simply bounced off the Grimm like a pinball. She hit the floor with a dull thud, but her face remained torn in a fury.

"Leave him alone." Pyrrha gritted out, not backing away from the Grimm. The foe laughed heartily. It seemed to understand Standard, or it had some translation unit. Either way, the monstrous humanoid tossed the girl like a feather. She hit a bulkhead with a thud, coughing violently as she did so.

The Grimm seemed to be toying with the group. It knew they didn't have any ammo, so there was no rush. Well, maybe there was, if they called for backup. He assumed they did, so he decided fun time was over. It pulled out a sidearm and aimed it at the fallen girl.

Jaune burst forward with rage in his eyes. This monster could beat the hell out of him all it wanted to, but it was not going to harm his friends.

The blonde tackled the Grimm, the sudden added weight causing the tall alien to stagger. There was a skirmish before Jaune was flung away, the blonde rolling like a barrel into a nearby bulkhead.

Now the Grimm was pissed. It pulled out a long knife, nearly half a meter in length, and bore down on the fallen boy.

Jaune, however, had the Grimm's sidearm. He aimed for the Grimm's head, and pulled the trigger.

The gun had much more recoil than any gun Jaune had ever used. His arms flung backwards as if they were made of paper. However, the Grimm's head practically exploded, the bullet tearing through it's thick skin and bone as if they weren't there. The alien fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Ren immediately rushed to his leader while Nora assisted Pyrrha. "Jaune, are you alright?" The young man asked, helping Jaune into a seated position. Jaune nodded weakly.

"P-Pyrrha?" Jaune asked simply. Ren smiled, motioning to the red-haired girl.

"I'm fine…" She said weakly. She then coughed up a small amount of blood. Nora frowned.

"She'll live, but I think she's got a punctured lung." Nora said flatly, helping the girl to her feet. "We should get to the infirmary." She suggested. Ren nodded, helping Jaune hobble along. The two marines nodded.

They had barely made it a few meters before their reinforcements arrived, a group of marines and medics. Immediately, the medics assisted Nora in helping the injured Pyrrha.

The head medic pulled out a small device that Jaune assumed was an x-ray device, and scanned Pyrrha's ribs. He nodded. "There's nothing broken, thankfully." The medic said plainly. "There is some bruising, but nothing serious." He motioned for a stretcher to be brought over.

Pyrrha was assisted onto the board gingerly. Jaune hobbled over to his teammate and attempted to grab one of the ends, but another medic pulled him aside.

"You've got a massive bruise on your back." The medic said plainly. "That, and you've got a few cracked ribs." Jaune frowned at the medic.

"I'm staying with my teammate." Jaune said, his voice strained but determined. The medic tried to argue, but he decided against it.

"Fine. At least let me give you this." And before Jaune had a chance to deny it, the medic stuck a syringe into Jaune's neck. "This should reduce the swelling for a while." Jaune never liked needles, but he was thankful that the pain was beginning to subside.

"Alright, let's get going."

xXxXx

The Grimm had made excellent progress in their invasion, that much could be said.

Currently, the most of the invasion force was in the central mall, trying to move throughout the ship. However, the marines and hunters on the ship were also in the mall, and now a large firefight had broken out.

Team RWBY was currently on Deck 7, but nowhere near their ultimate destination. Instead, they were ambushed by Grimm that had came from that direction, which was followed by more Grimm entering the mall, and the firefight beginning.

Ruby looked at her AURA's map. There were nine Grimm currently pinning them down in one of the mall's many shops. There wasn't much they could hide behind, given that Grimm weapons could tear through more than just flesh with ease. If it wasn't made of 4 inches of solid metal, it wouldn't be enough to stop a Grimm bullet.

Blake and Yang were on the other side of the store, leaving Ruby and Weiss near the cashier's desk. Weiss had recently loaded her last clip into her weapon, and while Ruby wasn't running low on ammo, she only had one or two more assault rifle clips left.

"Blake, Yang, how're you two on ammo?" Ruby asked, checking her sidearm. She had three clips for the handgun. Weiss had two, maybe three clips for it.

Yang groaned over the AURA. "I've got 6 shells left and no Dust." The brawler said with a high amount of agitation. Blake was more composed.

"I've got three clips total." She said. Ruby frowned audibly.

"There's a back exit, but it's guarded by a few Grimm." Weiss mentioned. Ruby scanned the area in question. There were three Grimm nearby, but they didn't look to be trying to enter. Maybe they didn't know it was there?

"Blake, think you can handle them?" Ruby asked, taking time to scan the front. A Grimm tried to enter the shop but met three bullets to the face, courtesy of Weiss.

The smile was clearly audible. "Of course." The faunus girl said before silently slinking into the back. Ruby motioned for Yang and Weiss to follow her, staying behind to cover their backs. Once all three were in the back room, Ruby shut the door.

"Alright, they'll be here soon." Ruby mentioned, watching as Blake's dot on the AURA took out the three Grimm with relative ease.

"Clear." Blake said quietly. The three quickly headed out, with Yang playing a trap for their pursuers.

They were taking a back way to the mall when a loud bang rang out through the hall. "Surprise." Yang said humorously, a smirk plastered on her face.

Once the four were in the mall, Ruby found the nearest marine group. They were holed up on the 'north' side of the ship. More than likely, they'd have some ammo, or at least a few spare guns.

"That way." Ruby motioned to where the marines were set up. She led her team, keeping low to avoid being seen by Grimm skirting the balconies in the mall.

The four arrived to find Ghost Squad pinned down. There were a few Grimm down the hallway, taking potshots at the squad every now and then. The leader, Staff Sergeant Malcolm, saw the hunters approach. "Never asked for Hunter support." He said flatly. He then fired off a few rounds towards the Grimm.

Yang looked ready to speak, but Ruby cut her off. "Maybe, but you look like you could use some help." The redhead offered, noticing a small armory nearby. She motioned for Yang to collect ammo from the pile.

One of the marines turned around. "They're bringing out a sniper." He said calmly. Then, before the rest had the time to register the words, the marine's chest exploded outward, the sniper bullet tearing through the wall, cover and marine's basic armor like tissue paper.

The marines scurried back, trying to put as much between them and the sniper. Ruby used her AURA to scan the area, noticing the Grimm sniper in question. It was set up at the end of the hall, a large gun resting on the floor, propped up by a tri-pod.

"Big one." Ruby commented, turning back to the SSG. "Are you sure you don't need any help?" She asked innocently. The SSG frowned.

"Alright, go on." He said flatly. Ruby looked to Yang, who nodded that she had gathered sufficient ammunition, and then to the others.

"There's a small access tunnel that loops around the back of this bulkhead." Blake commented, seeing that the Grimm were advancing. "We should assume they have radar tracking. Stealth mode should be used." She suggested. Ruby nodded.

"Alright, let's get going." Ruby motioned for her team to head into the access hall. "You guys keep them busy here." She told Malcolm. The sergeant didn't take too kindly to being ordered around by a recruit hunter, but agreed nonetheless.

Ruby was behind Weiss as the group entered the hall. It was barely a meter wide and less than three high. A Grimm would have a tough time squeezing into it, but they also had no cover. A single shot could take all of them out with little effort.

The team's AURA was silent, completely off. If there was a Grimm, they'd have to make visual contact. And when dealing with Grimm, visual contact wasn't the way you wanted to make contact.

Blake held her hand up, halting the foursome. She made a curving motion with her hand. 'The hallway turns here.' She then made another motion, likely meaning, 'It also goes straight.' That meant they reached a junction.

Blake peered over quickly. She quickly pressed herself against the wall. She held up five fingers, closed her hand, repeated the action, and again, this time with only two fingers. '12 enemies around the bend.' Was what it inferred. Ruby nodded.

The redhead motioned for Blake and Yang to cross to the other side. The faunus and blonde nodded and quickly covered the gap. Right after Yang was across, a bullet hit the wall. "Guess we weren't as stealthy as we thought!" Yang shouted to the other two.

Ruby flipped her AURA on, no longer needing stealth. Blake was a little short: There were almost 30 Grimm down the hall, and nearly all of them had their guns trained on team RWBY.

"Well this is just _great_!" Weiss spoke. Ruby had to agree with the heiress.

"I'll clear some of them out." Blake said, pulling the last grenade off Yang's belt. She primed it, waited two heartbeats, and tossed the explosive into the group.

The explosion wasn't nearly as powerful as Ruby would've liked, but she did notice on her AURA that around half of the Grimm had dropped, either injured or dead.

"Still quite a few left." Yang commented, taking a few shots down the hall. Her Dust shots lit the hall up ever so much, but they traveled fast enough to not make a big difference. A few Grimm dropped, but some that were hit by the grenade were getting up.

Ruby also noticed that Ghost Squad was no longer guarding the entrance, and that a few Grimm were on their way though the corridor.

"We're going to have company." Ruby said through gritted teeth. Weiss's AURA picked up on this and the white-haired girl growled.

"Son of a bitch…" She breathed, no longer as angry as before. Instead, she was mildly inconvenienced. "Is there a way out of here?" She asked.

Blake quickly pulled up the schematics of the corridor. "There's an exit about 50 meters down this way..." She left her words hanging.

"But..?" Ruby asked. The Grimm were only about 20 meters away.

Blake hesitated. "There's a leak." She said simply. "It's lost a lot of air." Yang sighed. Weiss frowned.

"So either die here or die there?" Yang breathed. Blake nodded grimly.

Ruby frowned. She looked to where the Grimm were bearing down on them. Then she got an idea.

"Blake, can you seal this corridor off?" She asked, thumbing down where the Grimm were gathered. The faunus looked to her leader with a confused look.

Weiss looked down where the large group of Grimm were. "Even if we sealed the airlocks, it'd only buy us a few minutes of time." She said realistically. Ruby nodded.

"That's only if they think we're still alive." She commented. It was a long shot, but it was better than resigning to death. "You've still got that jamming device, right Blake?" Ruby asked.

The faunus smirked. "Give me a moment. Cover me." She said knowingly. Yang stood up and aimed to where the Grimm would enter any moment.

Less than a second later, Yang's shotgun rang out, hitting a Grimm square in the chest. The alien crumbled to the ground. Right before the larger group could advance, the airlocks sealed, cutting the group off. Then Ruby's AURA started to fizzle.

"Jammer's up." Blake said, training her two guns on the only entryway left. "Now, we just have to survive." She added flatly. Ruby smirked.

"That we can do." She said. She just hoped that the Grimm on the other side would allow them to.

* * *

**And that's a wrap. Stay tuned for the next part. R&R!  
**


	5. Chapter 4, part II

**So here's part 2 of Chapter 4. These are likely going to be common, especially later on. I have the plot written out to 18 'chapters', but some of them are two parters. If those are all counted up, then I have, at least, 22 chapters planned. However, that's nowhere near the end of the series. This story has no defined ending point. It might end, it might not.**

**Anyways, this chapter is a little early to make up for the late last chapter. This chapter comes in at over 6000 words, so far the longest chapter so far. It could've been shorter, but I try to make each chapter an individual story, so each chapter more or less starts it's own arc, except for two-parters, which are the same story arc. In a way, it's kinda similar to the way the actual show is done.**

**One last bit to note. In case you haven't figured it out, Hunter Ranks are based on U.S. Army ranks. The same goes for Infantrymen. Marines use, obviously, the U.S. Marine Corps ranks. Pilots use the U.S. Air Force, and both Commanders and Crewman use the U.S. Navy for their ranks. Normally, each branch uses it's own abbreviations for it's ranks. However, I'm using three letter abbreviations to keep them simple. Ruby is a Private First Class, abbreviated PFC. The others are all Private (Grade 2)s, which is written PV2. It's called simply Private, but is a pay-grade higher than a PVT (the initial rank).**

**So, go ahead and enjoy the story!**

* * *

The infirmary was a busy place. Several marines and hunters were being treated for varying injures, including gunshot wounds, broken bones, or burns.

Jaune and Pyrrha were both laying on a bed. Their teammates were next to them, neither leaving even despite the constant suggestions of the doctors.

Jaune had suffered a mild concussion as well as a couple of bruised ribs. He was slightly confused, but otherwise the blonde leader was still his usual self. However, he was more worried for his other injured teammate.

Pyrrha didn't have a punctured lung, thankfully. She did, however, have some tearing in her esophagus. She had a few cracked ribs that didn't totally break as well. While the flame haired girl tried to put up a brave front, it was obvious that she was in pain.

A doctor approached Pyrrha with a clipboard in hand. "Alright, Miss Nikos, you'll probably be staying here a few more days." He said shortly. "Your injuries are minor given what your teammates described, but I can't risk you injuring yourself further." Pyrrha nodded politely at the doctor.

"Thank you." She tried to sit straighter, but Nora held her down and didn't give her room to argue.

The doctor then turned to Jaune. "Mister Arc, your injuries are minor except for your concussion." He said, flipping to Jaune's chart. "Given the circumstances, I'm placing you and your teammate on medical leave until you complete your follow-up exams." Jaune nodded carefully, avoiding sudden movement.

"Alright, thanks." He said. Pyrrha gave him a weak smile from her bed. Jaune returned it.

xXxXx

Ruby wasn't thrilled at the moment. So far, her plan of hiding from the Grimm that were less than 15 meters away was working. They hadn't tried to make their way through the airlocks.

However, there were still Grimm filing through the only other entrance, and this was starting to go against them. They were once more almost out of ammo. Blake had resorted to using her sidearms instead of her two primary weapons, and Yang hadn't fired a shot in several minutes.

"So this plan's going just great…" Weiss drawled. Ruby frowned.

The redhead tried to think. There wasn't too many options left. Ruby thought about sending a message to a nearby squad, but that would mean that they would expose their position to the Grimm they were trying to avoid.

There was another option, but it was much riskier than standing their ground against an onslaught of Grimm. The corridor was segmented, each segment marked by airlocks. This was to prevent a decompression from affecting a large area of the ship.

Well, the next section, 20 meters in length, was sealed off, a hole in the hull slowly draining the oxygen in the area. It hadn't become a total vacuum, but it was a risk trying to escape that way.

Blake motioned for Ruby to move closer. Ruby handed Yang her weapon (the blonde wasn't really doing anything), and ducked down next to the faunus. "We still have that out." Blake thumbed to where the decompression was. Ruby frowned again.

"Yeah, but are you sure we could all make it through?" Ruby countered, ducking when a bullet hit the bulkhead just centimeters above her.

Blake's face remained serious. "Maybe not all of us, but I could make it through." She offered. Ruby looked at the older girl with a hardened look. "Once through I can get some help."

Ruby thought long and hard on the idea. There wouldn't be room for any mistakes. The leader wasn't willing to sacrifice her teammates for a long shot.

"You're staying here." Ruby ordered, chambering a round into her pistol. "Load your map into my AURA. I'm going." Her conviction was evident.

Yang turned around to face her sister. "Are you crazy!?" She scolded, dropping back and standing face-to-face with the younger girl. "There is no way I'm letting my little sister kill herself back there!" The blonde's voice was full of passion and protectiveness.

Ruby was usually very glad for her sister's caring. This was not one of those times. The redhead frowned. "Look Yang. This is my team." She said evenly. "It's my job to ensure you remain safe. And that means that I have to do this, because I'm not losing any of you." Her voice was much more mature than any had ever heard before. Weiss was impressed.

The white haired girl smirked. "You are such an idiot!" She spoke, her voice full of teasing. "You better not get yourself killed!" Ruby smiled.

"I wont." The redhead then turned to Blake, her face slightly less determined than before. "Think you can handle them?" She asked quietly.

Blake nodded, a smile on her face. "You can count on it." Ruby nodded in return.

The redhead then started towards the airlock. She activated the first door, inputting a simple command that allowed the door to open. She turned to her team and gave a smirk before the door closed.

Now locked off from the other side, Ruby looked at the interface. The digital display showed the conditions on the other side. According to this, there was only about 15% of the original atmosphere left, and the temperature had dropped to -58C. Ruby felt herself shiver just looking at it.

"Alright, this is it." She steeled her resolve and pressed the open button. A quiet alarm went off.

"Warning! Oxygen levels are below suggested levels!" The computerized voice warned. The redhead pressed a confirmation button, and prepared herself for what waited on the other side.

As soon as the door opened, a blast of cold air hit her. Ruby immediately took in a breath, and looked the map over. Her AURA showed that the exit wasn't too far ahead. However, there was debris blocking the way. Instead, Ruby would have to take a much longer path, one that increased her exposure to the near vacuum.

Ruby burst into a full sprint, taking in large breaths. She was always a good runner. She had been the star of her middle school's cross-country team. She tried to remember that training, using it to aid her in survival. The lack of air was the least of her concerns. It was the bitter cold. There was ice forming on the bulkheads.

Ruby thought about her team as she rounded a corner. Yang would kill her if she died in here. The blonde was always protective of her. If Ruby ever got injured, Yang would go on a tear to find whoever was guilty, and then make them rue the day they hurt Ruby. Ruby cracked a smile at the thought.

Then there was Blake. Ruby liked Blake, even if the faunus wasn't the most social person. Blake was constantly reading or meditating. Ruby had heard that it was something to do with _Denyara_, a religion that most faunus followed. Ruby never though of Blake as religious: The black haired girl never said anything about it, nor did she seem to care what others thought.

Finally, Ruby thought about Weiss. To say there were two sides to Weiss was a vast understatement. One minute, Weiss could be yelling at Ruby for acting 'immature, childish, or annoying', but the next she was willing to put her life into Ruby's hands. And this worried the leader. Yes, being a leader, Ruby had to do whatever necessary to protect her teammates. However, Ruby never saw herself leading a team.

However, Weiss always told Ruby that she had all of the qualities of a great leader. She told Ruby, "A good leader doesn't ask for aid. A great leader is not only willing to ask for aid, but regularly does so." In other words, because Ruby asked for assistance from her teammates, she would be a great leader.

Ruby was fortunate that her team was willing to put their trust in her. She just hoped they didn't misplace that trust.

Ruby rounded another corner and saw the airlock ahead. It was a good thing, too. It was starting to become harder to breathe, and the cold was starting to make her numb. If she stayed in here any longer, she'd likely pass out, and that would lead to either decompression or, if the oxygen held out, hypothermia. And neither outcome enticed the young girl.

She approached the interface and quickly began to type the opening codes. After the confirmation displayed, Ruby pressed it and watched as the door opened. She immediately shot inside and shut the airlock, sighing as she was now in the clear.

When the next door opened, Ruby set out to find some backup.

xXxXx

Yang watched the airlock close with a tinge of regret. It shouldn't be Ruby risking her life. It should've been her.

A bullet grazing her shoulder brought the blonde back into reality. She let out a colorful string of obscenities as she ducked into the hall. Thankfully, it only barely broke skin and wasn't severe.

Weiss turned to the blonde and pulled out a first-aid kit. "Hold still." The heiress ordered, pushing Yang down when she tried to stand. "I swear, you are worse than your sister." She added. Yang just smirked cockily.

"Yeah, it's kinda a family thing." She said humorously. Blake let out a wry chuckle.

After a very quick bandaging, Weiss stood up, and turned to where the Grimm were still pouring in. "You know, Ruby won't have anybody to rescue if we run out of ammo." She said breathlessly.

Yang looked down at Ruby's rifle. Yang didn't like rifles as much as Ruby did. No, Yang liked guns that caused a buttload of damage. Mounted guns, shotguns, rockets. The bigger it hit, the more Yang liked it.

With this in mind, Yang formulated a plan. "Think we could bum off those Grimm there?" She motioned to where the Grimm were currently being euthanized. The aliens had to drag the dead Grimm away before they could advance. So far, the team had handled what they had thrown at them.

Weiss's eyes went wide. "You want to just to ask them for a gun to kill them with!?" She cried, exasperation heavy in her voice. "You're crazy!"

Yang smirked. "Like I said, it's a family thing." Blake barely stifled a chuckle.

"It's a sound plan, Weiss." The faunus added, tossing an SMG to the ground to emphasize her point. "We either run out of ammo and die here, or steal from them and survive. Your choice." Blake kept her voice even, aiming her pistol at a Grimm and striking it in the forehead.

Weiss growled, but had to agree. It might be crazy, but it was the only option that had the possibility of survival. The Grimm rarely, if ever, took prisoners.

"Alright, how do you want to do this?" She asked in defeat. Yang looked at the Grimm that Blake had eliminated.

"Well, that one's got some kind of rifle." She commented. "And I'm pretty sure that there as some sidearms that haven't been collected." Blake scanned the area.

"I've got a few shots left." She said. Her readout read '8'. "Gonna have to make them count." She added. Weiss tossed the faunus a clip.

"I've still got a few left for this." She patted her rifle for emphasis. Yang smirked. She still had a full clip in Ruby's rifle.

"Go."

Yang motioned for Blake to go first. The black haired girl slunk forward, keeping low. Weiss kept a lookout for any Grimm that might pop out.

Yang immediately saw three pistol-type weapons nearby. Using the fallen Grimm as a shield, she grabbed them and tossed them haphazardly behind her. Weiss made a noise that sounded like "What the fuck!?" but Yang didn't bother with replying.

She then grabbed the rifle that had been dropped and picked it up. Or at least, she lifted it. She couldn't aim the thing if she wanted to. "Well ain't this just peachy?" She strained. The gun must've weighed 50 kilos, easily. She started to drag the thing towards where RWBY had fortified.

Just then, a Grimm rounded to corner. Blake barely avoided having her face ripped off by a bullet. The slug scraped her nose, barely taking off skin. "_Amazeko_!" She swore, immediately looking to return fire on the offending alien.

However, it seemed that Yang had already taken care of it. A sword-length knife protruded from it's think skull, black blood dripping down it's face. Blake looked at Yang with slight disbelief.

"What?" She asked, slightly confused. "I played Grifball at Signal." She added. Blake smirked.

"How much do we got?" She asked the blonde. Yang started to raid the nearest Grimm for it's ammo. She frowned slightly.

"Not a whole lot. Maybe 5 pistol clips each." She said, stashing the magazines. "And one spare rifle mag." Blake's smirk got deeper.

"You do know that Grimm weapons carry more ammo that our own?" She asked humorously. Yang paused for a moment, then gave Blake a rude gesture with a smirk.

"In case you were wondering, we are in the middle of a war here!" Weiss called out. Both women looked back and nodded, immediately back to being professional.

Yang handed Weiss one of the pistols and a few clips. The heiress held the large weapon more like a rifle than a handgun, but it would work. "You know, you're still crazy." She trailed.

Yang, who set the rifle on a tripod like a mounted gun, just nodded. "Yep."

xXxXx

Ruby kept her head down, moving as stealthily as she could towards any other BEACON members. The young girl only had her C28, the standard issue sidearm, and it wasn't very powerful. It could take out a Grimm with a headshot, but anywhere else was a waste of a bullet.

Ruby hoped to avoid any confrontation. She kept her AURA on and scanned for friendlies. She picked up a large group of marines holed up on the 'west' side of the ship. They were currently being pinned down by a larger group of Grimm.

Ruby found a fallen Grimm nearby, a sidearm and some ammo next to it's corpse. With as much haste as she could muster, she gathered the weapon and ammo, and set out towards the squad.

The Grimm did not notice the redhead, and she hoped to use that as an advantage. Her AURA detected eight Grimm in the area, all of them with their backs turned to her. She could get a few shots off, if the weapon she procured remained more or less stable upon her firing it.

As Ruby was setting up around a corner, she felt her knee resting on a round object. Looking down, she saw an unused grenade. She grabbed it and looked it over. A plan formed in her mind.

Ruby pulled out her first-aid kit and grabbed the string inside. She tied it to the pin, using it like a tripwire, then looked for something to anchor it to. She set the grenade inside a nearby bulkhead, and tied the string on the bulkhead across the hall, just like a real tripwire.

After this, Ruby pulled the pin, but kept the spoon in place, keeping the grenade from priming. She replaced the pin, her trap now perfectly laid out. Now, as soon as something stepped on the wire, the grenade would prime, taking them out in less than 10 seconds.

The redhead's AURA picked up a group of 16 marines pinned in a storage area. The Grimm, in total, numbered 30. That was too many, even if she got the jump on them.

Ruby then heard a crackling on her AURA. "Huntress, you there?" The voice asked. It was gruff, masculine and, judging by the loud bangs in the background, one of the marines she was trying to assist. "We've got a turret in here, but our gunner can't get to it." He continued, wasting no words. "You think you could distract those Grimm long enough for us to retaliate?"

Ruby didn't hesitate. She peeked around the corner, took aim, and shot the leader in the back of the head. Without delay, she took out three more Grimm, their bodies dropping like lead.

The group began to focus their attention on her. She smirked and sprinted away, hoping to lead them into her trap.

The sounds of an explosion rang out, the blast wave sending shrapnel flying in all directions. Eight Grimm were eliminated by the blast, with several more severely injured. Already the huntress had taken out half of the enemy force.

Ruby rounded a corner and came face-to-face with one of the tall aliens. She attempted to shoot it reflexively, but the beast simply swatted her gun away, a bullet discharging harmlessly into a bulkhead.

Ruby back-stepped, trying to put as much room between her and her assailant as possible. She still had her sidearm, but she'd need time to take the shot.

The Grimm, however, did not have plans to let her, and rushed forwards. It lifted her like paper and threw her almost 5 meters. The young girl hit the ground with a thud, her lungs forcibly exhaling.

Shaking her head, she tried to stand, but a hand grabbed her head. The alien looked at her curiously. It's fangs were sharp as knives, glistening with murderous intent. It's eyes were full of what could be taken as a mix of excitement and psychosis, like berserkers of the past.

However, it didn't notice Ruby had un-holstered her sidearm. Nor did it see her aiming, from her hip, at the Grimm's head. And it didn't see the bullet as it struck the middle of it's forehead, lodging itself into it's thick skull.

The Grimm dropped Ruby, staggering as the bullet, not traveling at a straight-on path, become lodged in bone, but still hitting the brain. It's vision began to swirl; death was likely immanent.

Ruby, however, wasn't going to let time do it's work, and put two more slugs into it's head. Both broke the bone, and together, the bullets turned it's brain into a soup. The Grimm fell backwards, dead.

Ruby's AURA showed the rest of the Grimm were being dealt with, the chain gun now easily taking the aliens down. Ruby cautiously approached where the marines were holed up, noticing that the Grimm had retreated, leaving 14 marines left.

The marines were composed of two squads, Nova Squad and Obsidian Squad. The commander of the combined squad was Second Lieutenant Murphy, who approached the Huntress. "Thanks for the assist." he said plainly, motioning for the two squads to pack up.

Ruby tried to speak, but 2LT Murphy spoke again. "We are headed to Deck 26, Section 18 to assist Victor Platoon." He said in an ordering fashion. "Get a weapon and move out."

Ruby frowned. "Not without my team." She said simply. 2LT Murphy looked down at her, not seeing any other Hunters in the area.

"What team?" He asked. Ruby motioned to where her team was.

"They're pinned down by Grimm in Section 11." Ruby said flatly. Murphy looked at her with an odd look.

"And you just left them?" He asked, his voice slightly annoyed. Ruby's frown deepened.

"No, I escaped through a near-vacuum to get aid!" She explained, her voice rising slightly. She was starting to get angry. Her team was counting on her…

2LT Murphy frowned. "You mean to tell me you were exposed to a near-vacuum without any side effects?" He asked incredulously, his voice exasperated. Ruby didn't change her posture, nor her facial expression.

The officer thought for a moment before deciding. "Obsidian, go with her." He ordered. Five marines approached, none higher ranked than a Corporal. "Alright, PFC Rose. You've got your aid." He turned away. "When you are done, you will rendezvous with us on Deck 26. Understood?" The 2LT's voice was forceful, giving Ruby little room to argue.

"Yes, sir." She said. She looked to the marines of Obsidian, taking an N131a that was handed to her, and motioning for them to follow her.

She just prayed to the Gods that she'd make it in time…

xXxXx

Yang frowned.

This battle wasn't going anywhere. Yes, they weren't dead, so there was that. And the Grimm had reduced their attack, now only sending a soldier in every few minutes. The team had to back away from the first hallway and around the bend that lead to the near-vacuum, mainly due to the threat of grenades being use.

Blake's face was stained with blood, the bullet that grazed her face having taken a few layers of skin with it. The faunus didn't bother to put a bandage over it. It didn't affect her aiming, nor did it cause her pain. In fact, the blood had already slowed it's course, her body finally clotting the wound.

Weiss hadn't been hit by anything, but the heiress was starting to tire. They had been in this situation for the last 20 minutes. Once Ruby had left, it seemed the Grimm were content with just slowly pressing onto the group.

Ammo, as usual, had to be conserved. If it wasn't a kill shot, it wasn't taken. Yang hadn't used the remainder of her first clip, so she still had plenty of ammo, and both Blake and Weiss had only just started on the second magazines each.

"Are you sure Ruby could've made it through there?" Weiss asked, slight worry entering her voice. Not knowing was making the three very nervous.

Yang gritted her teeth. "Of course she could. That's nothing." Yang said, trying to keep her voice sure. However, it sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as Weiss.

Blake scouted the corner, saw a Grimm, and pulled away. "According to the display," The faunus pointed to the access panel that would've opened the airlock, if she hadn't overridden it. "There was about 15% of the atmosphere remaining." She finished calmly, before Weiss took down the Grimm that was trying to advance.

Yang frowned. "15%?" She asked, not sure of what that meant. "Is that good or bad?" Again, uncertainty dominated her voice.

Blake shot a Grimm trying to aid it's friend, a frown on her face. "The amount of air isn't what's lethal. It's the temperature." She said evenly. "As the pressure drops, so to does the temperature." She explained to the blonde.

Yang's frown didn't show signs of leaving. "How low?" Yang asked, her voice forceful.

Blake hesitated, but answered. "In those conditions, -50. Maybe lower." Blake said, trying to keep her voice even. Weiss turned around, her eyes wide.

"Wait. 50 below?" She asked incredulously. Blake nodded slowly. Weiss's face fell, her voice refusing to work.

Yang shook her head. "No, you're wrong." She said shakily. "There's no way my sister would let that kill her. There isn't!"

Yang's thoughts were broken when an alarm started to blare. The airlock panel started flashing. Blake approached it.

The faunus let out a quiet curse. "They're cutting through." She said. "They'll be through in maybe 10 minutes." She said. Weiss's eyes got impossibly wider.

"Then this whole section'll go into lockdown!" She said, her voice showing signs of uncharacteristic panic. Even Yang's face did not show optimism.

Blake simply nodded. "Yes, then this section will start to decompress." She said grimly. Yang sighed.

"Well, if I'm dying here, I'm gonna take out as many of those bastards as possible." She resolved, grabbing a sidearm and charging out of their cover, shooting a Grimm that was trying to be sneaky.

Blake and Weiss joined her. If this was the end, then they'd meet it headfirst, guns blazing.

xXxXx

Ruby saw the Grimm gathering around where her teammates were with horror. There must've been nearly 50 Grimm in total, all trying to cut through the airlocks Blake had jammed, keeping them relatively protected. It seemed that they finally wised up.

However, this meant that, at least for the moment, her teammates were alive.

Ruby looked at Obsidian Squad. They weren't marines. They were actually Infantrymen, stationed on board the Emerald Forest until the ship arrived at Eta. The highest ranked member, and as such the leader, of the Squad was Corporal Lee. The young man looked poised but slightly terrified. He was still new, it seemed.

Hell, all of Obsidian's remaining members were new. Specialist Horton, the squad's only female, was the only other member that outranked Ruby, at least comparatively. Ruby, being a Hunter, had no command over Obsidian, nor did Obsidian have command over her, but in most situations, if you are a lower pay-grade, you tend to follow orders.

Lee squatted next to Ruby. "What's the plan?" He asked. His squad mates all lowered themselves, hoping to avoid detection. Ruby's AURA continued to scan, hitting a dead zone where she assumed Weiss, Blake and Yang were.

"Well, we need to get into that airlock." She pointed at the airlock, labeled 'Dk. 7, Sc. 11, AL 21-B'. "That means we need to take out those Grimm."

SPC Horton looked the Grimm over with a fearful look. "Not to sound pessimistic or anything, but how in the hell are we going to take out nearly 50 Grimm alone?" She asked, her voice barely even. She adjusted her glasses, trying to keep her resolve.

Ruby looked the Grimm over. "It looks like they have a plasma torch…" She trailed. Lee followed her gaze, seeing the machine in the middle of the Grimm.

"You aren't thinking of doing what I think you are, are you?" He asked, his voice both fearful and excited. Ruby's face turned into a devious smile.

"Oh yeah." Was her reply.

Ruby steadied her aim, held her breath, and fired. The bullet soared through the air, striking the plasma containers held in the machine.

The pressure under which the plasma was kept, combined with the heat, created an explosion with equal power to an Ursa's cannon. The explosion took out several of the Grimm, but only the ones nearest the machine were killed. The plasma ionized into regular flame, with the Grimm bodies cremating as ultra-hot fire began to burn them.

Lee ordered Obsidian to start firing, and his squad mates did so, taking aim at the Grimm. The aliens returned fire, their bullets able to penetrate their relatively thin cover.

The team backed away, hoping to avoid being hit, as Ruby snuck forward. "Keep them busy." She told Lee, who nodded once. All of his fear was replaced with a powerful will to live.

Ruby took down three Grimm that tried to ambush her, the rifle in her hands only able of fully automatic firing. She had to fire in short bursts to feel comfortable with it, but it was a minor change of pace.

Obsidian had drawn most of the attention, the squad having moved to more stable cover. Now they could counter without fear of being hit through a wall. Ruby used their distraction to move to where the airlock was.

Blake was really good at hacking. Ruby spent three minutes trying to bypass the overrides and get it opened, but the faunus's handiwork was more complex than anything Ruby could begin to comprehend.

Having forgotten the airlock to take out a Grimm that nearly got her, Ruby went to plan B. She'd have to head through the tight hallway and hope the Grimm weren't aiming behind themselves now.

xXxXx

Things were going to shit real fast.

The Grimm began to press the attack, sending in more soldiers and more often. This, combined with the Grimm trying to cut through the back airlock, was enough to make things look bad.

Then the Grimm started to cut the side airlock.

At this point, Yang wanted to just open the airlock, face the Grimm on the other side, and take as many out as she could before they finally killed her. She might get two or three, depending on how many were on the other side. Maybe Weiss and Blake could get a few more before they too were killed.

Weiss, however, shot that idea down. She was still holding onto hope that Ruby would bring reinforcements. However, nearly a half hour had passed, and there was still no sign of aid.

Then, the airlock to their side, the one that wasn't a near-vacuum, shuddered with what sounded like a large explosion. This was followed by the sounds of muffled gunfire.

Weiss let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God, we're saved!" She said, leaning her back against a bulkhead. She needed to rest a moment.

Blake, however, had to be the realist. "They might not know we are here." She said. "If that wasn't Ruby, then no one knows were are here." She motioned to the jammer, set against the wall. A large hole cut through it, the wires inside exposed.

Yang frowned. "It's been shot, how's it still jamming our AURA?" She asked. Blake shook her head.

"I don't know, but I can't turn it off." She said flatly. "If we don't get out of here before they finish cutting though, we're not going to be making it out." Her voice held a slight bit of fear.

Weiss frowned. Yang sighed.

This was it.

xXxXx

Ruby found the entrance to the corridor guarded by three Grimm. Two were taken out by Obsidian, while she took out the last. Her AURA could only scan about 20 meters of the corridor, and she picked up 5 Grimm inside. If there were any more, they were inside the jammer Blake had set up.

Ruby motioned to Lee that she was headed inside, and then did so. She immediately took out two Grimm, using a Grimm sidearm instead of her rifle. She had to step carefully over the corpses, which lined the entire passage.

She was stopped when a bullet nearly hit her. Letting out an uncharacteristic curse, the redhead pressed herself against the bulkhead.

She wouldn't be stopped here. Taking in a breath, Ruby stuck the Grimm sidearm around the corner and shot three rounds. When she heard the dull thud of the Grimm hitting the ground, she looked around the corner.

It was clear, so she started progressing. The last two Grimm were no longer on her AURA. The dead zone was nearby.

As soon as the thought hit her, her AURA started to fizzle. Now relying on sight alone, Ruby saw two Grimm engaged with what she assumed to be her team.

Ruby wasted little time taking the two out, watching joyously as they hit the ground. Ruby carefully approached the corner, not wanting to surprise her teammates into shooting her.

However, Ruby was surprised when she felt two arms grab her and pull her towards them. "You're alive!" Yang cried, her voice full of happiness.

Ruby felt her breath leaving her, but thankfully Yang released before she stopped breathing.

Blake and Weiss both approached the team leader. "You took your sweet time getting back!" Weiss said, only half scolding the redhead. Ruby smirked sheepishly.

"It's good to see you made it through unharmed." Blake said. However, before she could say anything else, she picked up movement in the corridor. "More Grimm." She warned.

The four walked back. Ruby could hear the sounds of metal cracking from the rear airlock. "They're cutting through?" She asked, pretty sure of the answer. Weiss nodded wordlessly.

"We need to get out of here." Yang said, taking a shot at a Grimm rounding the corner. It missed, and the Grimm ducked back into cover. "Now." She added forcefully.

Blake nodded and started to type into the access panel. Weiss took a few shots at the Grimm, hoping to keep them from exiting cover.

Then, a huge gust of wind hit them. "They're through!" Ruby shouted, barely able to keep her footing. Weiss wasn't as successful, hitting the ground and being sucked towards the breach.

Yang grabbed the heiress, pulling her to her feet. The wind started to die down, but now the air pressure was thinned, and the air started to drop. It was already near freezing.

Weiss went to thank Yang, but she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. A hole, nearly three centimeters in diameter, appeared in her shoulder, the bullet thankfully remaining intact. If it had fragmented, the wound would have most likely been larger and more life threatening.

That didn't make it any less painful. The heiress collapsed, Yang pulling her out of the way. Grimm were starting to approach form both entrances, mostly from the rear airlock than the corridor.

Ruby pulled Weiss aside and applied as much pressure as she could on Weiss's shoulder. The heiress still hadn't said anything aside from a few unintelligible curses. "Alright, it doesn't look like it hit anything important." The redhead said, examining the wound.

The hole was clean, having miraculously missed the scapula. However, it may have hit the clavicle, as Ruby noticed the bone was slightly soft. "It might've nicked you collarbone, but it didn't hit your shoulder blade." Ruby informed, trying to keep her voice soft.

Weiss chuckled weakly. "He must've been a terrible shot." She said through a wave of pain. She took in a deep breath, the lack of air starting to become noticeable. "Any luck?" She asked Blake.

The faunus nodded, her eyes fixated on the panel. After a few seconds, the first airlock opened. Ruby dragged Weiss inside, Blake and Yang following. The airlock shut, and the next door started to open.

Yang barely avoided a bullet, ducking just as she saw the gun pointing at her. It wasn't a Grimm weapon, being much to quiet and high pitched.

"Wait, they're friendlies!" CPL Lee said, Obsidian squad quickly lowering their weapons. Lee then noticed Weiss bleeding on the floor. "Get a medic!" He ordered. Two privates immediately took off. Lee knelt next to Weiss, motioning to Horton and directing her to hand him a first-aid kit.

With some assistance from CPL Lee, Ruby fixed a makeshift tourniquet over Weiss's wound. The bleeding merely slowed, but it wasn't as severe as before. "Are you alright?" Ruby asked after helping Weiss into a seated position.

The heiress nodded weakly, a pained look on her face. "I'll live." She breathed out. Ruby sighed. She turned to Lee.

"When the medic gets here, you guys return to Lieutenant Murphy's squad." Ruby said, resting against a the bulkhead next to Weiss. Yang and Blake were helping Obsidian keep watch.

Thankfully, no more Grimm attacked. It seemed as though they had either been neutralized or captured, and the two Deathstalkers had been destroyed.

The medics arrived and assisted in bringing Weiss to the infirmary. They started to sew Weiss's injury back together after giving her a growth agent. If all went well, the white haired girl would have full use of her arm within the week.

Ruby was also admitted into the infirmary. She had suffered 'decompression sickness'; her joints had started to hurt, and she was starting to get a headache. The team leader was to spend the night in a hyperbaric chamber, breathing pure oxygen, the only treatment.

Ruby was inside the glass chamber. "Yang, I'm fine." She said, her voice reverberating off the barrier. Yang just shook her head.

"You nearly died in there!" The blonde said, motioning behind herself in a general direction of the corridor.

From a distance, Ruby heard Weiss shout, "I'm the one who got shot!" The redhead chuckled.

"Yang, really, I'll be fine." She said, trying her best to sound optimistic. She, was in fact, getting tired. "Look, go back to the room and get some rest. We'll need it." Ruby's voice become slightly hard. Yang sighed.

Blake, however, stepped forward. "I'll make sure she does, Ruby." The faunus said. Ruby smiled at the girl as she lead Yang towards the exit. The blonde looked back to Ruby with a concerned look, but the redhead simply smiled.

Once Yang was gone, Ruby sighed heavily, heading to her bed. The hyperbaric chamber didn't have much room. It was barely three and a half meters tall, and less than five meters long. The bed took up most of the space.

However, it was pressurized so that Ruby could gradually return to standard air pressure. Decompression sickness isn't a problem if the exposure is short term, or if it's gradually reduced. However, seeing as Ruby had gone from near-vacuum to normal air pressure, and then back, in the span of around 30 minutes, it had taken it's toll.

As Ruby started to drift into sleep, her mind lingered on words that had been said over the ship's broadcast network. Five words which changed the entire mood on the Emerald Forest.

"We are now at war."

* * *

**And there you go. Chapter 4, part 2 is finished. Now, if you will all excuse me, I will be falling to sleep. Goddamn my inability to stay on a normal sleep cycle.  
**


	6. Chapter 5

**Well, Happy New Year everyone! Time for Chapter 5 of The Vale Order to go up. A little slower than the last few, but that's only for a little bit. The action will definitely be picking p over the next few chapters.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The last week was anything but calm.

The Emerald Forest had suffered heavy damage to various systems. Oxygen restoration was still active, and the artificial gravity arrays were still operational, but the radiation shielding had been weakened to below standard levels. It was still active, but it wasn't operation within suggested parameters. Multi-dimensional radiation, which was a form of Cherenkov Radiation, was caused by light being so blue shifted that it becomes high energy waves. In the case of Emerald Forest's maximum dimensional bubble, even simple radio waves could be shifted into high energy gamma radiation, which could be lethal after only a few minutes of exposure.

As such, the Emerald Forest was stranded in orbit around Beta, waiting for a repair ship to arrive. And, given that the Grimm had begun their invasion, this wasn't going to be for a while.

Shortly after being released from the infirmary, Ruby immediately checked on Weiss. The heiress's injuries wouldn't be fatal nor debilitating. She had, for the first few days, limited use of her left arm, the muscles having been damaged, but the injury was already healing. Dust medicine was extremely effective, allowing for wounds to heal at an alarming rate. However, it came with the side effect of being extremely difficult to pinpoint an exact amount for a certain injury. As such, the white haired girl was under constant medical watch.

Yang had spent most of her time in the ship's gym, keeping her body in peak condition. Sometimes she trained with others, Nora being one of Yang's most common partners, and other times she spent her day taking out frustrations on a defenseless punching bag.

Blake hadn't been around often, and usually kept quiet when she was. The faunus either didn't trust people, or didn't like people. And this worried Ruby. She wanted her team to work together effortlessly, but so far it seemed as though the only people who could stand each others presence were Ruby and Yang.

Six days after the attack, Weiss was finally released from the infirmary. The heiress had little trouble using her left arm now, but seeing as she hadn't used it actively for six days, it was feeling sore.

Of course, before she was even out of the infirmary, Ruby was at her side. "So, what are you going to do now?" Ruby asked as the pair headed through a main corridor. This area of the ship wasn't heavily damaged, as the Grimm were kept far away from the medical areas. However, as they entered a large park like area, the effects of the battle could be seen. Several of the decorative tress were splintered, and the benches were shattered.

Weiss rotated her arm, testing it's range of motion. There was no pain, but it felt stiff. "I'm going to head to one of the training facilities." The heiress said plainly. Ruby nodded.

"You think I could join you?" The redhead asked, a slight hint of eagerness entering her voice. Weiss sighed, trying her best to hide the annoyance she was feeling.

Weiss thought long and hard about what to say. She could see Ruby was trying to be a good leader. Combat-wise, there was no strategist on board who could match Ruby. The young girl had some kind of sixth sense, predicting how the battle was going, and she was extremely perceptive. She saw and memorized details that even AI's could miss.

However, when it came to social interaction, Ruby was less than stellar. She had trouble talking to people, even with insistent nagging from Yang. And even if she did somehow start a conversation, she had trouble holding it. Interactions with Ruby were, to say the least, brief.

"You know what?" Weiss said, exiting the park area and passing a pair of patrolling marines. "Sure." Ruby's eyes lit up with excitement, an almost infectious smile forming on her face.

The redhead remained mostly silent as the two entered one of the many training facilities on the ship. This one wasn't a holographic system, like the one they used against team JNPR. This one was more like a gym. However, instead of weights or punching bags, there were rapiers.

"You fence?" Ruby asked curiously. Weiss nodded sharply, approaching a locker.

"Ever since I could walk." Weiss answered almost automatically. "Granted, it was because my father wanted me to be good at something he could use." She added the words with an almost undetectable venom.

Ruby watched as Weiss opened the locker, which contained a set of fencing gear. "Well, I've never fenced before." She confessed. "I don't even know what to do." She added, trying to sound humorous, but it instead came out as sheepishness.

Weiss grabbed the set of gear and smirked. "Then I'll teach you." She said evenly. "It's not all that hard to understand, even for a dunce like you." She added, letting rare humor seep into her voice.

Ruby smiled at the words, eagerly grabbing her own set of gear. Maybe this might work out after all.

xXxXx

Blake was the only person in Team RWBY's bay, and used the alone time to her advantage. The faunus went to her locker and pulled out a small, thick tome with various symbols written elegantly throughout. To most people, this would be unintelligible. But not to Blake.

The tome was a _Jiharî_, a holy book in _Denyara_. Particularly, _Jiharî_ was the 'Book of Tales', which recounted the various stories told through history of the _Denyara_ faith.

As Blake started to set up a makeshift _tenura_, she heard the lock click. This was followed shortly thereafter by Yang stepping into the room. "Hey, Weiss got let out today and she's fencing with Ruby." The blonde said, heading to her bunk.

Blake simply nodded in response, not breaking concentration on her task. The faunus set two sticks of incense and a _sîaro_, a thin mat, near her bunk, facing the far corner of the room.

"Whatcha doin'?" Yang asked from her bunk. She sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling off the side.

Blake frowned, a small sigh leaving her lips. "I'm trying to pray." She said evenly. "I would prefer it if you kept quiet while I do so."

Yang let a small frown show itself on her face for a brief instant as she hopped down with a dull clack. "You follow _Denyara_, right?" Yang kept her voice casual.

Blake simply nodded. She was starting to get agitated. Yang hummed in reply. "Why do you ask?" Blake said, trying with all her might to keep her voice even.

Yang sat down about a meter away from Blake, near the middle of the bay. "Well, you never said anything about it." Yang said, trying to keep her voice from not sounding cynical. "I mean, we _are_ your teammates. Why keep it a secret?"

Yang's question honestly made Blake nervous. She wasn't afraid of what others might say about her beliefs. BEACON was very neutral when it came to religions. Yes, _Denyara_ wasn't a large religion by comparison, but almost every faunus on board practiced it.

However, Blake had a…dark past. The kind that you'd rather fall asleep one night and forget all about when you wake up. The kind that haunts you when you finally do get to sleep, and keeps your dreams from being pleasant.

Letting out a deep breath, Blake turned to Yang. "I've made mistakes in the past." She said finally. "And I don't mean the kinds that could just be forgiven by a simple 'sorry.' My past…" She paused here. Yang put a hand up, silencing the girl.

"You don't have to say anything you don't want to." She said, keeping her voice low. "Is that why you do this?" Yang motioned to the religious stuff Blake had pulled out.

The feline girl nodded. "After I started to turn my life around, I was taken in by a _deniera_. They pretty much raised me." There was a hint of nostalgia in Blake's words.

Yang nodded. "What's it about?" She asked, pointing to the _Jiharî_.

Blake looked surprised at the question. Granted, it wasn't the bad kind of surprise. It was a nice shock.

Blake thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Well, _Denyara_ is about selflessness, while trying to better oneself through selfless acts." Blake answered, still trying to convey the words in an understandable way.

Yang nodded slowly. "Well, that sounds simple." She said, practically jumping off her knees. "Anything else?" She asked almost immediately.

Blake remained silent. "Not really." She said after a moment. "As long as you do what is right, morally, that's about it." She said.

However, it was clear that Yang wasn't quite buying that answer. "So, what's this then?" Yang motioned to the various prayer aids that Blake had set up. "What does prayer have to do with 'bettering oneself'?" She asked.

Blake lowered her head slightly, in a way that imitated traditional prayer. "Everyone, even the most selfless person in the universe, acts either selfishly or immorally." She said. "We pray so that we may ask forgiveness for what we may have done, or for guidance when things seem bleak." She explained. She then opened the _Jiharî_.

"This is called a _Jiharî_." Blake said, turning to a page near the middle of the book. "It's more or less similar to the Bible. It is full of tales and prayers." She explained, showing Yang the various writings. Not that Yang could read them.

"What language is that?" Yang asked, pointing at the page. "I may not be able to read Faun, but I at least know what it looks like, and this ain't it." She said. Blake nodded.

"All of the scriptures in _Denyara_ are written in Renyan." She continued. Yang nodded in understanding.

Blake pointed to the page, to an excerpt written near the bottom of the page. "We have many different prayers." Blake said. "This one here is the _Hirua Kinsa_, a prayer we recite for those whom have died." Blake kept her voice even.

Yang looked the verse over. If she was correct in her assumptions of the Renyan language, it was four lines long and wasn't extremely long. "Which one are you going to be doing?" Yang asked curiously.

Blake tapped the page a few times. It was obvious that she meant 'this one.' "Why?" Yang asked before her mind could act.

Blake didn't seem to take offence to it. "Any form of killing is seen as a sin." She explained. "However, in my case, I don't kill for pleasure." She continued, letting a long sigh escape her lips. "I do it to protect others." Yang nodded.

"Yeah, that's what we do." Yang spoke, trying to sound humorous. Blake let a small smile grace her face.

"Indeed. And this is a selfless choice." She continued. "So, I say this prayer for all those I have killed." Blake's voice held the most subtle hints of regret. "Through this, one's _iaro_, our soul, is cleansed." Yang nodded in understanding.

"So, how's it go?" She asked. Blake gave a slight smirk, beginning to recite the prayer to Yang, who listened intently.

xXxXx

Less than an hour had gone by, and already Weiss was impressed. Ruby had no idea how to fence at first. She didn't know any of the rules, nor did she know the proper way to hold the foil. After a brief lesson in the basic rules, Weiss started to show Ruby some offensive and defensive techniques.

After Ruby seemed to master these, Weiss had agreed to a bout against the younger girl. At first, the discrepancy of skills showed, and Weiss handily defeated Ruby 5-0 (5 being the standard amount of hits, or 'touches', required to win a single bout).

However, in the second round, Ruby showed a marked improvement, holding Weiss to a 3-2 victory. And when the two squared off a third time, Ruby was able to best Weiss by a score of 4-1, with each of the previous two bouts ending after the standard nine minutes had passed.

The heiress took her protective mask off, stepping off the piste, and gave Ruby a small smile. "Impressive." She said, her voice praising. "You've got a natural talent." Ruby took her mask off and exposed a lit up face.

The younger girl's smile was infectious, and Weiss's smile got deeper. "Thanks for teaching me, Weiss." Ruby said, placing her foil with the others as she followed Weiss into the changing area. The white haired girl nodded once in response.

After changing into their casual uniforms, which were grey t-shirts and black shorts, Weiss led Ruby back to the bay. "You might be able to compete in a tournament with your skills." Weiss said as the two stepped out of the gym. "You'd definitely have a chance, if you work on your footwork." She added a slight tone of disapproval here, a playful remark at Ruby's rather sloppy movements.

Ruby beamed even more. "Really? You think I could actually compete?" She half-squealed, a huge wave of excitement washing over her. Weiss couldn't even be upset at Ruby's childish behavior. Weiss still thought Ruby wasn't acting as professional as she should, but she was beginning to get past it.

"That doesn't mean you can't practice." Weiss added, keeping her voice even. "You might be talented, but without proper training, you won't make it far in a tournament." Ruby felt the wind leave her sails ever-so-much, but she took it in stride.

"Right." She said, her voice suddenly very serious. "You don't have to worry. I'll train everyday if I have to!" And then she was back to her usual self, even striking a theatrical salute to emphasize her resolve.

Weiss let out a sigh that was a combination of annoyance and humor. "If you say so." She added flatly.

The pair approached the central mall, the thoroughfare heavily damaged from the Grimm attacks, but it was still bustling with people shopping and enjoying themselves.

The two were almost to their bay when Yang stepped out. "Oh, hey sis." The blonde said, her voice cheery as usual. Ruby gave her a small wave.

The three had barely stepped back inside when a knock came at their door. Weiss answered it, exposing a young man in the Standard Combat Uniform. "Mail call." He said, handing Weiss a tablet that held the team's collective mail. Weiss nodded in reply before the PVT continued on his rounds.

"Any for me?" Yang asked eagerly as soon as Weiss shut the door. The heiress was ready to make a sharp remark, but there indeed was a message for the blonde.

Yang noticed that Weiss didn't tell her no, and immediately snatched the tablet out of the heiress's hands. She found the file with her name attached and uploaded it to her AURA. It flashed with a few private messages, but one message stood out.

Once she saw who it was from, she lit up like a supernova. Ruby let out a short squeal, reading the same thing Yang was.

With their teammates looking confused, the two sisters wordlessly scrambled to a digital screen and fought to input something on the interface. After less than three seconds, a message popped up on the screen. "Contacting 'Summer Rose'" It read.

Weiss didn't have time to ask her question, because at that moment the screen went from a mostly blank display to one that looked like it was on board a ship. Prominent on the screen was a woman in her mid-40s, with her graying black hair tied into a bun out of the way. She was wearing the dress uniform of a Hunter, and her rank insignias were that of a Lieutenant Colonel.

The woman beamed warmly at the two girls, who were also smiling back. "Hi, mom!" Ruby said, waving like a lunatic at the screen.

The woman, Summer, gave a small laugh at her younger daughter's antics. "Hi, Ruby, Yang." She said, her voice a mixture of kind and stern. "How've you two been?" She asked.

You could hear the smile in Yang's voice. "Great. I've been keeping Ruby here out of trouble." Yang playfully pushed the younger girl, who countered by poking Yang in the side. The older girl let out an uncharacteristic squeal at the touch.

Summer barely contained her laughs. "I see. Have you been keeping yourself out of trouble?" Summer's voice became one of a parent's, stern, if a little playful. Yang suddenly went silent.

Ruby, in typical little sister fashion, smirked. "Well, she did 'accidentally' break one of the gyms' boxing machines." Ruby said, getting a glare from her sister.

Summer's look towards Yang remained sharp, but it was mixed with exasperation. She then let out a sigh. "What am I ever going to do with you?" She said, bringing her fingers to the bridge of her nose.

Ruby then smiled happily. "Mom, guess what?" She said, getting her mother's attention. "Weiss here taught me how to fence, and she said I could enter in a tournament!" Ruby said excitedly, motioning for the heiress to come over. Weiss tried to argue, but Ruby practically dragged her into view.

"Really?" Summer said, her voice a mix of pride and wonder. "And just how did you manage to do that?" She added, her tone not faltering an inch. She looked to Weiss, her gaze one of close examination.

Weiss didn't like being put on the spot, and was suddenly embarrassed. "Well, ma'am," She started, trying her best to look Summer in the eyes. "I showed Ruby the basics, but she grasped the concept really quickly." Weiss's complement made Ruby blush slightly. "She's still not skilled enough to enter a tournament right now, but she could if she trains enough." Weiss finished, noticing the smile forming on Summer's face. It looked just like Ruby's, obviously being where the young girl got it from.

"Well, I'll be." She said, looking to Ruby again. "My little girl's being trained in the art of fencing by the Schnee heiress." It was clear Summer was proud. Weiss bowed lightly, stepping out of the frame.

For a moment, things remained silent. However, the silence was finally broken by Summer, who's face went from a smile to look of seriousness. "Now, I know about what happened last week." She said professionally, her voice lower than it had been previously. "I read your after-action reports." She added.

Ruby and Yang both nodded, the two also serious. "It's true, then?" Yang asked tentatively. "BEACON's declared war?" There was a weight that hit all four girls as the question was asked. There had been rumors, but so far nothing had been said.

Summer nodded sharply. "Yes. That attack was much too coordinated to be a random encounter." Summer kept her voice low, as if trying not to attract attention. "Now, I'm not supposed to tell you this." Summer added, her voice barely audible.

At this point, all four girls were engrossed in the screen, not just the two sisters. "The Forever Fall is on it's way to the Beta System." Summer continued. "It should have already arrived. All Infantrymen are going to be moved to Forever Fall tonight." Summer took in a breath. "And all Hunters." She added quietly.

For a moment, there was only silence, barring the sounds of the ship on Summer's end of the conversation. Blake was the one to break it. "You mean every Hunter?" She asked calmly, despite the implications of the answer.

Summer nodded. "Yes. Even the recruits." She sighed. "Even you all." Now there was emotion in Summer's words. It was a mix of emotions heavily dominated by fear.

Ruby gulped thickly. "You mean we're being transferred?" She asked, hoping that this was all it meant. However, seeing as there was no mention of civilians or Marines, she seriously doubted that.

Summer sighed. "Not permanently. The Forever Fall is on it's way to the Kappa system." She said, keeping her voice as even as she could muster. "Kappa's under attack by Grimm invaders." She added. Yang sighed.

"So we're headed into battle?" Weiss asked tentatively. Summer could only nod. Weiss's eyes went wide. "That's not possible…We've barely been in BEACON three weeks! How could they send us to war!?" Weiss was shouting, out of a combination of anger and fear.

Summer sighed. "You've all completed basic combat courses." She stated. It was the truth. To become a Hunter, you either had to transfer from another branch after your term ended, or complete a BEACON approved combat school. That meant that even new Hunters were capable of combat. "Gen. Ozpin feels that the extra assistance could prove vital in the battles to come." She said the words almost regretfully.

Silence dominated the group. The revelations were, to say the least, shocking. Yes, it wasn't as if they believed they would never see combat. Hell, they almost died fighting off Grimm boarders. However, they didn't expect to be sent into a war after less than a month.

Ruby finally spoke. "If we really are headed off to war, then we better make sure we're ready." She said, her voice full of resolve. Yang looked her sister over a moment, before smiling widely.

"You bet!" She said, pumping her fist into the air. "Let's get ready to kick some Grimm ass!" She said loudly. Weiss simply sighed.

The four resolved to face this head first, Summer smiled. "You stay safe out there." She warned, though her voice was less concerned and more stern. "Watch each other's backs, and stay together." Ruby nodded in understanding.

"We will, mom. I promise." She said, her face full of resolve and preparation. Summer simply nodded at her daughter's determination.

"Alrighty then, Rosebud." Summer said. "You make sure to do us proud." Her voice become more caring and protective. "And you make sure you come back, alright?" Her voice was softer here. Ruby and Yang both nodded.

"We will." They said simultaneously. Summer smiled.

"Good. I love you two." She said, sighing. "Now, I have to go. We've got to prepare in case the Grimm try to attack one of the inner colonies." She gave one last wave, and then cut the channel.

The four remained silent. They each thought about what had just been revealed to them, each with differing levels of enthusiasm. It was evident that Yang was starting to get excited, the blonde practically shaking with energy. Ruby was nervous, but her face held a resolve unlike anything anyone else had seen. Blake seemed to be deep in thought, playing various scenarios over in her mind. And Weiss remained calm and collected, despite her inner protests.

Their thoughts were broken when the PA system sounded. "Will all Hunters-in-training please head to the armory immediately." The mechanized voice spoke. The girls gave each other knowing looks, and immediately set out to their destination.

xXxXx

24 of the original 28 recruits were gathered in the armory. One team, Team TIAL, had been given leave from the action, as the four members had suffered serious injuries in the battle. LTC Goodwitch stood before the recruits, her face serious.

"Now, you may have heard the rumors going around that BEACON has declared war on the Grimm Alliance." She started, her voice unusually soft. There was a silent murmuring amongst the recruits, but they stopped when Goodwitch continued. "Those rumors are indeed true." She said flatly.

Recruits began to discuss amongst themselves, varying from excitement to nervousness. "Silence." Goodwitch said forcefully, and the talking subsided. "Now, normally, this would not affect recruits. However," She paused briefly, almost as if she herself did not agree with what she was about to say.

"Seeing as everyone here has completed basic combat training, Gen. Ozpin has seen fit to order all recruits on board to head to the Kappa system." She spoke evenly, keeping her voice loud but not sharp. More talking erupted, this time in mass protest. Many of the recruits were wondering why the Commander of the Hunters would do such a thing.

LTC Goodwitch put her hand up to silence the crowd. "Unfortunately, these orders are final. You will be expected to follow them, or you will suffer the consequences." This time, her voice was sharp and strict. The whole room went silent.

The LTC cleared her throat. "The Forever Fall will be taking you into the Kappa system. You will be boarding today." She said, motioning to a Marine, who opened the armory. "Grab your weapons and make sure you have plenty of ammo. You may supplement your supplies on board the Forever Fall if needed, but the trip will be brief." The recruits then began to grab their preferred weapons from the armory in relative silence.

The Forever Fall was a much faster ship than the Emerald Forest. While the trip to Kappa would take the Emerald Forest around 12 days (10 with relativistic dilation), the Forever Fall could cover the same distance in only 7 days, a little less from the dilation effect. Combined with the fact that the Forever Fall had much more firepower and military capacity (the Emerald Forest's civilian population outnumbered the military population nearly 10:1), it made for the perfect opportunity to send more men into the front lines.

Ruby gathered all the ammo she could stuff into her duffel bag, with much more assault rifle ammo than sniper rifle ammo. She didn't know what she was going to be doing once she set foot on Kappa, but she was certain she'd need both types of ammo.

Yang, as usual, carried the team's ammo, barely feeling weighted down by the four stockpiles of ammunition on her shoulders. The blonde's ammo was kept in boxes, both the shells and Dust rounds, so while it didn't weigh as much as a magazine did, it took up more room. This meant that, by comparison, Yang had less ammo.

As the group waited for orders, they were approached by LTC Goodwitch. "Alright, Team RWBY. We've got the first transmissions from Kappa. They say that the Grimm have utilized a hit-and-run type tactic." She stated, showing the four what looked to be security footage take from various locations on the planet. "Unless things change in the week to come, which they very well may, then you are going to be assisting in the evacuation of civilians in the city of New Ivory." She added, giving Ruby a data node that held information on the city.

"We understand, ma'am." Ruby said, linking the information on the node to her AURA. The display showed a basic roadmap, with various landmarks noted. One thing that caught Ruby's eye was a Schnee Dust Headquarters, which obviously oversaw the Dust economy of the planet.

Goodwitch nodded once, allowing the four to begin to plan what they might do. However, they didn't have much to plan for. Without knowing definitively what they were doing, they could only plan for broad scenarios, and not for the task at hand.

After a few minutes, the PA system crackled back to life. "All Hunters, please report to Docking Bay 18." It ordered. The team silently headed there, keeping a brisk pace.

Once there, the four, as well as every other recruit, filed onto a Bullhead that took them to the Forever Fall. The trip wasn't long, barely 10 minutes, and once on board, the four were directed to the bay area. Seeing as the ship was fitted for military postings, the team had their own bay.

The Forever Fall then jumped to Kappa less than an hour later, heading headlong into war.

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**Alrighty, there's this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it!  
**


	7. Chapter 6, part I

**So, here we go. Chapter 6, Part I is up and ready. Enjoy!**

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"Team RWBY!" A Sergeant called out, the man standing a little taller than Yang. The four girls of team RWBY stood shoulder-to-shoulder, with Ruby near the center.

The sergeant looked them over carefully. "I know you're young, but we will be holding you to the same standard we hold every other soldier. Is that clear?" He warned, a stern look on his face. Ruby nodded in response for her teammates.

"Good. Now, you will be dropped into New Ivory." The sergeant started, holding a digi-pad in front of him. "Seeing as we've got a shortage of soldiers, you will be assisting Fireteam Obsidian." Their AURAs flared with the details of each member of the team. Of course, RWBY already knew Obsidian from the battle on the Emerald Forest.

"Understood, Sergeant." Ruby spoke, her voice firm. However, it was clear that Ruby was terrified inside. Combat wasn't something she had been exposed to a lot. Sure, when it came down to it, she was a great soldier and leader, but the buildup to that point could be the most nerve-racking experience one could suffer.

The sergeant nodded. "Head to Hanger 1A, and take the Bullhead numbered 71-OD5." The sergeant ordered. He didn't wait for the four to leave, and headed to his next task, whatever that may be.

Ruby turned to her sister, making sure she had the ammo. The bag hung off the blonde's shoulders heavily, but it didn't seem to slow her down at all. "Alright, let's go." Ruby said, her voice full of confidence. She led her team to the hanger in silence.

Inside, they saw JNPR entering a Bullhead with a group of Infantrymen across the hanger. Jaune gave Ruby a small wave, his face a mixture of confidence and worry. Ruby returned it, a weak smile on her face. From the look of things, the team was headed to a very hot location. She hoped they would be safe.

Blake spotted their destination, Bullhead 71-OD5, about 20 meters from them. The faunus nudged her leader, motioning to the transport.

As they approached, they noticed a familiar Infantryman greet them. "Welcome to Fireteam Obsidian, RWBY." Corporal Lee said. However, Ruby noticed a few things were different about him. Firstly, it seemed that Lee had gotten an AURA. Likely, he was given the device to allow better communications with team RWBY, seeing as they would communicate better with them.

Secondly, and more importantly, Lee had been promoted to Sergeant. However, Obsidian wasn't any bigger than before.

Ruby stepped into the Bullhead. "So, I'm guessing you're leading the team now?" Ruby asked with a small amount of awe. Lee nodded, a small blush on his face.

"Yeah. Command said there weren't enough extras to fill our roster, so they decided to promote me and put me in charge." He recited, the revelation likely being taken in by the man. "That also means you four will be following my orders, I guess." He added, a small amount of humor entering his voice.

Weiss frowned. "I thought you couldn't order somebody who isn't in your branch." She stated, not inquiring but clarifying. Lee smirked: He could tell Weiss liked to be right.

"Actually, _Private Schnee_," He said, enunciating her rank and name, "There's been a General Order handed out by none other than Gen. Ozpin himself." To clarify, the sergeant pulled up the actual order, which clearly stated 'If, in the case of an inter-branch squad being formed for the duration of this war, regardless of the circumstances, chain-of-command will be assigned based on equivalent rankings.'

Weiss's frown deepened. "So it would seem…" She said sourly. It obviously wasn't every day that the heiress was corrected. Lee didn't let his cockiness get the better of him. Instead, he approached the front of the Bullhead, where the pilots were waiting.

"We've all arrived. Whenever you're ready." He told them. The pilot nodded in response, finishing the pre-flight inspection. "So, I was told we're headed to the Dust Company HQ smack dab in the middle of New Ivory." Lee added to his 'team', his Fireteam and Team RWBY.

Weiss looked at him. "Why?" She asked, her voice flat. Blake seemed to frown at the orders, but kept her words to herself. However, Weiss did notice, glaring at the faunus.

When it looked like Weiss was ready to interrogate her teammate, Lee answered her question. "They're evacuating civilians who don't want to go off-world into the bunkers under the building." Lee said. He noticed that Blake didn't look pleased with her destination. "Is there something wrong, Belladonna?" He asked, his voice sounding like someone who had been in command for a while.

Blake huffed, as if calming herself. "I have a…bit of a history with the Schnee family, as you could guess." She pointed to her cat ears, but her voice was even, if slightly bitter. "So I'm not too happy about returning."

Before anyone could start asking questions, the pilot radioed back. "We're launching in one minute." He said, his voice garbled slightly by the speakers. It looked as though this particular Bullhead was old. If Ruby remembered her military history properly, the 1-99 class Bullheads were all issued before Year 49 of the Sixth Age, 26 years ago. That meant this ship was 26 years old, at least.

The rear hatch closed up, sealing with a silent, high pitched hiss. "Just so you guys know, our momentum reducers aren't the most reliable." A female voice said, obviously the co-pilot. "When we start our takeoff, tuck forward and clench tightly." She warned. One of the soldiers audibly gulped.

Ruby prepared for the worst. Momentum reducers were fairly simple devices. Like the name implies, they reduce the momentum experienced within it's boundaries. They were required on multi-dimensional capable ships, as the jump from a few meters per second to several trillion was so great, you'd be disintegrated in 0.001 microseconds, roughly. Transports usually had them installed as well, so that civilians unaccustomed to high G-forces didn't have to worry.

When the ship started to move, it moved with a purpose. Ruby clenched as tightly as she could, feeling her muscles groan as the Bullhead continued to pick up speed. After she felt the craft's engines kick in, the ship banked hard left, forcing the soldiers towards the floor. This continued until Ruby was certain she would black out, and then they leveled off, their momentum constant.

Ruby gingerly sat straighter. Weiss looked disheveled by otherwise unaffected. Both Yang and Blake looked like they had before the ordeal. Lee looked slightly pale, but he kept himself conscious. The other members of Obsidian were in various states of blacking out. SPC Horton was the first to come around, her face looking like someone who misjudged how intense a rollercoaster could be.

The radio crackled again. "We'll be planetside in approximately half an hour." The pilot informed. After that, the radio crackled off. The noise stirred the other members of Obsidian back into the waking world.

Ruby turned to Lee. She figured she'd find a way to pass the time, so she asked a simple question. "So, why'd you all join BEACON?" She asked. While she directed the question at Fireteam Obsidian, she also wanted to find out more about her own teammates. Aside from Yang, she didn't know too much about them beyond their names.

Lee was the first to speak. "Well, to be honest, I was thinking about leaving soon, actually." He said, his voice slightly sad. "Or rather, leave the Infantry. I wanted to be a Crewman and become a Commander, but they said I didn't have good enough transcripts to make it in." He sighed. "So I figured I'd join the Infantry. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? We weren't at war, nor did it seem like we were headed that way while I would be here." He added sarcastically, though it looked to be a front for his fear.

Each member of Obsidian had different reasons. SPC Horton wanted to join so she could get tuition to a large school on Vytal paid for. PFC Duran was looking to get some lien stashed up. PV2s Greer and Holder both wanted to see all of Vale.

When around to Yang, the blonde smirked. "Well, I didn't initially plan to join the Hunters." She said, tilting her head back. "I always thought I'd be an athlete. I was the star Forward in Signal." She boasted, getting a few looks. The forward was a Grifball position characterized by strength and speed, both of which Yang possessed.

"So, why'd you join?" Lee asked honestly. "If you were as good as you claim, you'd have scholarships, right?" Yang nodded. "Why throw that away?"

Yang chuckled. "It was a tough choice, yeah. But, I didn't feel like I was being challenged. So, I joined the Hunters. It's one of the most challenging careers out there, so I figured I'd see how much it challenged me." While Yang's answer impressed most of the soldiers, it didn't work on Weiss. She scoffed loudly.

"How brutish." She said, her voice full of what could pass as disgust. Yang didn't take offense to it. Instead, she smirked deeper.

"So, why's someone like you join?" She said tauntingly. "I mean, if you wanted to, you could by an entire planet and declare yourself Ice Queen." Yang's tease brought a deep frown to Weiss's face, her face turning red with anger.

"I'll have you know that I'd rather be known for what I've done rather than what my family has!" She shot, her voice shrill with anger and annoyance. "And besides, we aren't as rich as people say!" She added, her voice slightly softer.

Lee scoffed. "Right, because owning practically half of the economy isn't rich…" He spoke offhandedly. Weiss shot him a glare, but he shrugged it off. "My sister could do better." He teased.

Ruby had to put her arm in between Weiss and Lee to keep her from attacking the man. The heiress, noticing that her leader had interfered, took a deep breath, clearing her head. She returned to her seat, still glaring daggers at Lee.

Ruby nodded towards Blake. "What about you, Blake? Why'd you join up?" She asked.

It was clear from the moment the words left Ruby's lips that Blake wasn't comfortable with the question. She shifted in her seat, as if she suddenly got very itchy. "Well, I had a front row seat to the violence on Menagerie." She said after a few moments of thought. "I didn't want that to happen again." She added, her voice low.

Weiss looked at Blake, her face conveying that she didn't buy the answer. "So you didn't participate in the uprisings?" She asked, her voice laced with subtle venom. Blake glowered at the heiress, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"What if I did?" She challenged, her voice low and equally venomous. Weiss narrowed her eyes as well.

Yang put her hand in the way of the two. "So what if she did, Weiss?" The blonde said, her voice even. "That doesn't mean a damn thing right now." She added. However, it was clear that Weiss wasn't accepting the answer.

However, before the argument could continue, the pilot radioed back. "We're approaching the atmosphere. You might want to hang on back there." He said. Ruby looked out one of the small windows and saw Kappa for the first time. The surface was covered in clouds, some natural and some caused by the smoke billowing from the surface. Kappa wasn't very large, with a gravitational pull of around 0.83G, or 83% of what it was on Remnant, where it was 1G. Also, Kappa didn't have a lot of water, with less than 30% of it's surface being covered by the liquid. As such, there wasn't a lot of native life on the planet.

As Ruby was looking out the window, her view was obscured by flames, the Bullhead breaking into the atmosphere. This was accompanied by a sudden jolt, the air resisting the ship's reentry. The team members all braced against something sturdy, the ship beginning to become turbulent within atmosphere.

After a few more moments of a not-at-all smooth ride, the ship settled out, the flames outside the ship dissipating as the upper atmosphere no longer resisted the Bullhead.

Then the ship began to level out and slow down.

The sudden apparent increase in gravity pulled the soldiers down, each taking it very differently. Ruby saw black spots forming in her vision, but she resisted blacking out entirely. She focused on a particular spot on the wall above Blake, hoping to use that focus to keep herself conscious.

It worked, mostly. After the forces on board stabilized, Ruby saw her vision slowly return to it's normal, multicolored state. She gingerly looked the rest of the team over; none of them looked worse for wear, though PV2 Greer had looked better.

"We're approaching the city now." The copilot said. Ruby peeked out the window to get a look at the city. It could be considered a metropolis, but it definitely wasn't the largest city Ruby had seen. The tallest tower was maybe 300 meters tall, which might have been enormous 300 years ago.

The city itself, however, wasn't archaic. It was quite modern: skyways connected the various levels of the city, which gradually got higher as it got closer to downtown. Normally, there might be hundreds of thousands of people wandering the streets, taking in the enormous LED displays that were plastered on billboards or skyscrapers.

However, very little traffic could be seen, barring military vehicles from both sides. It was eerie. And it perfectly described war.

The Bullhead jerked hard left, toppling it's passengers. An explosion could be heard outside, getting lower and quieter. "Nevermores." The pilot informed, attempting evasive maneuvers to avoid being hit.

A screeching whine came from nearby. The fighter, a Firefly-class, intercepted the Nevermore, with three more Fireflies assisting the ship. Ruby heard one of Obsidian's members sigh in relief, though she didn't catch which one.

Lee then let out a ragged gasp. Everyone looked to him, silently asking for answers. He just pointed outside the ship, out the window he was currently staring.

Ruby got a look, and she too felt the urge to let out a gasp. Maybe a few kilometers away was a large ship, settled on the ground, with Nevermores circling the sky near it. "A Taijitu." Ruby heard Weiss say, her voice halfway between awe and fear.

"Taijitus are the mobile bases, right?" Horton asked, her voice slightly shocked. Ruby turned to her and nodded.

"Yep, they keep the Grimm at full power during an attack." Ruby said, her voice as even as she could make it. "They can be off the ground and back in orbit within five minutes." She added. Horton simply gulped.

"Hey, we aren't dealing with it, so everyone just calm down." Yang said, her voice calming. "We've got our own problems to deal with, so let's get those out of the way first." Ruby was inclined to agree with her sister. Lee also shared the blonde's thoughts.

"Right, we're on escort duty." He said, heading over and grabbing his N131. "Get yourselves ready!" He called. Obsidian was immediately back into combat mode, grabbing their weapons and making their final checks. Team RWBY did so as well, each of the girls ensuring their weapons would not malfunction on the battlefield.

"Touching down!" The copilot said over the radio. Less than a second later, the ship jolted from it's contact. The group of nine stood up and prepared for what might await them.

The bay door opened and revealed a Sergeant Major, the man slightly disheveled from extended combat. He stood a full head taller than anyone else in the group, and if his face was anything to go by, he was not a man to make angry. Most Infantrymen aren't.

"So you're Fireteam Obsidian?" The SGM asked, looking each member over. "Alright, with me." He motioned for his soldiers to follow him. The group lingered behind, with Lee leading the way.

"The civilians are coming in from the south side." SGM Fowler said, motioning to the southern front. There were a few soldiers lingering in the area, but there wasn't as many and there were on the northwest entrance. "However, that Taijitu has been sending raids in from the north-west, so that's where we've been focusing our defenses." Fowler explained. The teams remained silent.

As the group approached where the soldiers were fortified, Ruby noticed several things. Firstly, there were two chain guns set up in the corners of a small courtyard that normally greeted visitors. Each of these had sandbag barricades set up to protect the operators. The northern weapon was operated, but the southern one was not.

Another thing Ruby noticed was that the building had been bombarded by something. It wasn't recent: there wasn't any smoke nor flames, and the wreckage was moved out of the way. "I thought we had SDIs in the area." Ruby mentioned, pointing the gaping hole in the large, castle-like structure.

SDI stood for 'Strategic Defense Initiative,' and it served a purpose of great importance. The Grimm would commonly use orbital bombardments to soften the defenses on a fortification, be it a city or an encampment. SDIs were set up in strategic locations to protect ground forces from this threat. Any enemy missile launched within it's range would be shot down, exploding safely in the sky, and not on the ground.

SGM Fowler nodded. "We do, but anti-air is something we are lacking." He said. His voice remained firm. "Nevermores have been strafing us all week." He added. Ruby nodded.

"Obsidian, stay down here. You will supplement our ground troops." Fowler ordered. Lee nodded, then lead his team to the courtyard, where he began to set his team up wherever they were needed.

Fowler then turned to Yang. "Blondie, you any good with heavy weapons?" He asked. Yang almost smirked cockily, but she refrained, instead nodding professionally. "Good. You will man the other 4588." Yang nodded and immediately headed to the chain gun, looking it over to familiarize herself with it.

"PFC, you're a sniper, correct?" Fowler asked Ruby. The redhead nodded in the affirmative, already knowing what was going to be ordered. "Alright, to the tower and give us overwatch." Before Ruby left, she saw the SGM look to her two remaining teammates. "Are either of these two your spotter?" He asked in disbelief. A spotter would tell a sniper how to adjust their shots depending on distance, wind and even gravitational effects.

Ruby shook her head, a smirk on her face. "I don't use a spotter, Sergeant." She said, patting her weapon lightly. SGM Fowler gave her a nod of respect.

"Alright, then." He said simply, leaving Ruby to head up the tower.

Ruby was nearing the top when a hand reached down, assisting her in reaching the perch. "Welcome, Huntress." The Specialist said. She was young, maybe 22 years old, and her small dog-like ears gave away her faunus heritage. "I heard you don't use a spotter." She continued, and only now did Ruby noticed the set of binoculars that SPC Liane had on her belt.

Ruby nodded, but she was grateful for the assistance. While she could function without a spotter as well as most highly trained marksmen, she understood that in certain situations, it was better to have another set of eyes in the area. "Here." Ruby handed Liane a small device that would link the binoculars to her AURA. This way, SPC Liane could see exactly where Ruby was aiming, and offer small adjustments where needed.

The SPC wordlessly put the device on her binoculars. After a few moments, the device beeped, and Ruby took it back, putting it in her AURA once more. As she was setting up, Ruby turned to Liane. "I'm gonna set a baseline." She said, putting in a tracking charge in her weapon. Normally, baselines are set before you are in a combat theater, but seeing as the Forever Fall didn't have the same training facilities as the Emerald Forest, it would have to be done here.

Ruby tuned her AURA's COM channel to the proper frequency. "I need to take a baseline shot." She said over the radio, awaiting the okay before she did so. It wouldn't exactly be a smart idea to discharge her weapon here in this way.

The COMs crackled. "You weren't able to do so before now?" SGM Fowler asked, a small hint of agitation in his voice.

Ruby frowned. "No, Sergeant." She said, her own voice slightly agitated. She heard Fowler mutter something under his breath before answering.

"How many do you need to take?" He asked forcefully. Ruby thought it over for a moment.

"Only one or two, Sergeant." She answered, her voice sounding sure. It was all a matter of how good Liane was at her job.

She heard Fowler say something to his soldiers. "Go ahead, Hunter."

Ruby nodded, then turned to Liane. "Alright, you ready?" She asked. Liane set her binoculars on a tripod and already had where Ruby was aiming in her vision.

"Yep, I can see your trajectory." She said, her voice loose. She obviously enjoyed her job. "Okay, what are you trying to hit?" She asked Ruby.

Ruby marked her target, a small statue, with the target painter. The infrared beam flashed on Ruby's AURA, and Liane saw it. "Alright, aim slightly left…" She trailed, and Ruby adjusted her aim accordingly. "Now slightly up." She added. Ruby did so. "Alright, you're good."

Ruby took the shot immediately. The sound wasn't as loud as it normally was, but it still sounded like a rifle. The bullet grazed the target, a small patch of liquid glowing on it's side. "Alright." Ruby said, making several small adjustments to her weapon's sight. She loaded another round.

After a quick realignment, Ruby fired again, hitting where she had intended this time. "Less than 3cm of discrepancy." Liane noted. "Manageable." Ruby agreed.

This time, Ruby loaded live rounds, and set herself in a prone position. The perch wasn't the largest, but Ruby didn't feel cramped by the area. For once, it paid to be short.

She started to scan the most obvious avenues of attack. She noticed a small Grimm contingent had set up near the highway, about 800 meters down. "Small group of Grimm set up, looking like they're preparing to attack." Ruby warned. SGM Fowler replied with a gruff grunt.

Then Ruby saw three vehicles round a corner near the Grimm encampment. "Two Borbatusks and an Light Ursa." She added. Fowler growled at this.

"Alright. Can you soften their force from here?" Fowler asked. Ruby smirked, though she knew that wasn't visible to the SGM.

"Yes." She said plainly. "Should I take the shot, Sergeant?" She asked, making sure she had the okay.

Fowler kept his reply simple. "Yes. And don't stop unless they are out of your firing solution." He said. Ruby's smile deepened.

Liane gave Ruby a few adjustments, and when a Grimm stopped to check on the Borbatusk's wheels, she took the shot. A second later, the Grimm collapsed, and his friends all began to scramble. Yep, that got their attention.

It wasn't long before the Grimm started to march this way, the two Borbatusks leading the way. Ruby took matters into her a own hands, and shot one of the drivers. The vehicle swerved off the road, crashing into a light pole, the front end crushed.

Ruby took potshots at the other Grimm, thinning their numbers out. She used the last round in her rifle to take out the gunner of the other Borbatusk, her previous attempt to take out the driver ending with the knowledge that one of the vehicles had a bullet-proof windshield.

The gunner collapsed into the vehicle's cockpit, and the Borbatusk stopped to allow another Grimm to man the gun. As this was going on, gunfire rang out from both sides, the engagement beginning.

Ruby hastily reloaded her weapon, the magazine sliding into place with a click. Sniping would be difficult, so instead Ruby opted to use her regular rifle, taking shots on the Grimm from high above the battlefield.

Liane was also taking shots with a handgun, and though at this distance the weapon wouldn't be accurate, the SPC was able to hit a few of the Grimm. She wasn't a half bad shot. She'd make a good markswoman, if that was what she hoped to do.

Ruby wouldn't find out, however. The Ursa may not have been the heavy variant, but it still packed a wallop. The cannon fired at what the Grimm had designated the most dangerous enemy: the sniper. The shell hit the tower, exploding underneath the two. Ruby screamed as she was sent flying through the air, debris imitating her arc though the sky.

Ruby felt herself hit the ground, and seeing as she could still feel, she assumed she hadn't died. Liane wasn't as lucky: One of the tower ladder's rungs had impaled the young woman in the chest. Blood pooled around her, her heart run through.

The redhead heard Fowler say something, but she couldn't make it out. It was as if her ears were stuffed full of cotton. She couldn't stand upright, but it wasn't due to pain or injury. It instead had to do with the world wobbling around like a top.

Ruby felt a strong hand on her shoulder, pulling her out of harms way, and propping her against a wall. The owner of said hand was an older man, maybe in his fifties, with the markings of a corpsman. A medic.

"Hold still." He said, though Ruby only barely understood. She wasn't sure if her vision was impaired, or if the man had a Siamese twin. She assumed the former.

"Concussion?" Ruby asked, her voice weak. The medic looked her over, examining her body for wounds.

"Most likely." He said, putting his hand over what appeared to be a wound near Ruby's gut. The girl felt as if she had been stabbed, and sharply inhaled.

The medic took that as a sign to get to work. He opened his medkit and rummaged through the case. He then pulled out a syringe, an ointment, and what looked like a small staple gun. "Alright, this should help with the pain." He said, and injected Ruby in the arm.

Immediately, Ruby's vision began to focus. She no longer saw two of everything. Then, she felt her pain subsiding, but not dissipating entirely. "Alright, now you need to hold very still." The medic said, his voice also clearer.

It was now that Ruby heard Yang shouting over AURA, her voice frantic. Ruby wanted to speak, but she couldn't find her voice. Thankfully, Blake, who was set up nearby to provide covering fire from above, spoke. "She's alive, Yang. Focus on the battle."

The blonde went silent, taking in the words, and then Ruby heard the spin-up of the chain gun, as well as a warcry by her older sister. Ruby felt a smirk reach her lips.

The medic exposed the wound, and Ruby looked down to see it. A small chunk of brick had lodged itself in her side, and the medic quickly pulled it out. Ruby felt a slight discomfort, but no pain. Then, the ointment was gratuitously slathered on the wound, most likely to prevent infections.

Finally, the medic quickly stapled the wound shut, the staples only slowing the flow of blood. He then placed a gauze over the wound, taped it down, then checked for other wounds.

Once he was certain there weren't any, he relayed the message to the SGM. "PFC Rose is treated." He said.

Ruby heard Fowler over the radio say. "Can she still fight?" The medic looked the Huntress over. She was already trying to stand on her feet. She knew she'd have to continue fighting.

"She's got a mild concussion, but she's healthy otherwise." He said. His job wasn't to administer long-term care. It was to patch a soldier up and make sure the doctors had a patient to save. "She's capable, but not 100%." He added.

This time, Ruby heard SGM Fowler on her AURA. "Rose, you got a target painter on you?" He asked. Ruby winced slightly as the voice grated her ears. Her head was still slightly stuffy, and she knew she'd have trouble focusing with the concussion.

"Yes, Sergeant." She replied, already setting the laser on her gun.

Ruby heard Yang try to talk to her, but Fowler cut her off. "I need you to set a targeting solution for a Geyser strike." He relayed. Ruby heard the collective gasp of the soldiers.

Geysers were a class of missile that Vale could launch from orbit. The warheads used the momentum of reentry, as well as a fairly large payload, to strike an enemy location without putting bombers in harms way. They were named for the way they launched most of their payload into the air, like a geyser. This was so the weapon could be used near ground troops. If it didn't, the payload traveled outwards like a meteor impact, hitting a larger area but being tough to calculate were to fire.

Ruby looked for a suitable location to direct the strike. "PFC Rose, this is the Destitute." Ruby heard over her AURA. "We've linked to your AURA the area of effect of out Geyser." Ruby saw a circle centered on her aim appear. "Try to limit friendly troops in the circle." The man above suggested.

Ruby got as many Grimm in the circle as she could, as well as the Ursa, and held the beam for a few moments. "Here." She relayed, trying to keep her aim steady.

"Affirmative. Geyser incoming." The man responded. "ETA 18 seconds."

Ruby heard Fowler warn the soldiers and felt the medic grab her shoulder. "In here." He said, motioning for the redhead to follow him into the building. Inside, both Blake and Weiss approached her, each of them glad that Ruby wasn't seriously injured.

Ruby didn't hear the missile impact, but she sure felt it. The ground shook violently, a sonic boom rattling the area. Dust flew into the sky, the blast living up to it's name as a geyser of dirt and debris went skyward. The building shook, ceiling panels falling down as well as paintings, statues and vases.

Once the dust settled, Ruby took a glance at the courtyard. Or rather, what was left of it. The blast left a crater nearly 25 meters deep and almost 50 wide where it impacted, the debris of the Grimm force scattered at it's edge. Nearby buildings had their windows shattered, and smaller structures were leveled. The castle that was the Schnee HQ had several bricks out of place. Suffice it to say, the building definitely wasn't up to code.

Ruby heard Yang approaching and turned just in time to have her face squashed against the blonde's chest. "Don't you _ever_ do that again!" She scolded, her voice full of emotion. Ruby couldn't say anything to calm Yang down, as her face was somewhere between Yang's cleavage.

Once Yang did let go of Ruby, she started to look the younger girl over. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" As she went into overprotective older sister mode, Ruby looked around for something to save her.

Fortunately, SGM Fowler approached. "We've got all of the civilians inside." He said. "Team RWBY, you and Fireteam Obsidian will be headed to Fort Green Mountain." He said. Ruby nodded.

As the group filled back into a Bullhead, Ruby let her mind dwell on Team JNPR. She wondered if they were alright. She didn't want to see her friends end up like Liane did…

* * *

**Alright, there we go. Next chapter will focus heavily on Team JNPR. R&R!  
**


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